Can I spread wildflowers seats on existing lawn?

[Bartg]

Just that really. Does anyone know? Or does it have to be on soil ?

Most wildflowers will be swamped by the grass. The need low nutrient soil to thrive with little competition. It’s unlikely they will do well in the lawn but depends what the seed is - dandelions and clover will be fine. Yellow rattle is often used to kill off the grass and make a better environment for the other wild flowers.

You can but they won't do anything much.

Wildflowers need poor soil with little grass. They can't compete.

I tried seeds rather than seats.😉
Some grew but not very well. I think the grass is a bit too strong. I've now seeded the place with yellow rattle seeds that reduce the fertility and make it better for wildflowers. They're growing well at the moment. I didn't bother with stripping off the grass though. Just cut it short and 'ruined' it a bit with a strimmer.

Thanks I will look up yellow rattle seeds

Yellow rattle seeds only last one season, so buy your yellow rattle seeds in August onwards. They are semi parasitic, and feed off the roots of grass which weakens them. It does take a few years of yellow rattle to properly weaken a lawn.

Ok. Maybe easier to just dig up this section of lawn and put down new turf with wildflower in ?

You don't have to dig it up - Just cover it with cardboard to kill the grass.

I've now seeded the place with yellow rattle seeds that reduce the fertility and make it better for wildflowers. I don’t think it reduces fertility just weakens the grass by feeding off it. Still good for wildflowers because the grass no longer has its competitive advantage in high nutrient conditions.

Depends what sort of wild flower assemblage you’re going for. If mixed annuals, yes, just kill the grass. If a meadow, ie perennial flowers like daisy, self heal, buttercups in grass, you need to reduce nutrient because the grass has a competitive advantage when nutrient levels are high, so a good way is to strip the turf and top layer of good soil.

We've sewed clover onto ours and it's taken really well - outcompeting the grass in large parts. Also have buttercups and planning on adding creeping thyme.

You could do one last close cut at the end of summer and then borrow / hire / buy a scarifier which would remove a lot of the dead grass, thatch, moss etc and pretty much take it to nearish bare soil. Spread your yellow rattle seeds on to that, and let them take for the following spring. You'll get more and more each year as they surpress the grass, and will see other meadow flowers coming in eventually too (ox eye daisy, etc)

Can you plant the seeds in seed trays, pot on and then plant out in the lawn as established plants? I tried planting wild flower seeds in our poor soil, little grass areas (also probably a bit too shady and dry), but nothing really survived, if I was trying again I think I would give the wild flowers a head start.