Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
itsmadmax

How to start a flowerbed (from seed) with wood chips??

itsmadmax
10 years ago

I want to make a wildlife flower bed from seed, with a layer of woodchips in the southern Bahamas.

The things is that I don't know how deep/high the level chips should be and where to start.

Do I first dig 2-10?? inch deep, seed .... wait untill germination, and fill the area up with chips?

Or do I seed, cover it up with chips, and flowers find their own way?

This is what I want to seed: (or see link below)

http://www.hancockseed.com/seed-mixtures-240/wildflower-seed-mixtures-118/gulf-coast-caribbean-wildflower-seed-mix-2-lbs-180.html

Here is a link that might be useful: product

Comments (4)

  • docmom_gw
    10 years ago

    Any seeds you plant will need to be close to the same level as the surface of the soil that the grass is growing in. You need to fill that "trough" between the terrace and the grass with good soil. Plant the seeds at or just beneath the surface of the soil, water to keep moist, and I would keep the wood chips off to the side until germination has occurred. Then spread the wood chips between the small plants. The roots of your new plants will grow down into the soil and the stem and leaves will grow up toward the sun. If you plant the seeds down in that little ditch, the soil under the grass will wash down and cover the seeds/plants, or the sun won't be able to shine down there and the little plants won't grow.

    Martha

  • itsmadmax
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Okay thanks :) that makes sense.

    (dont mind my English, I am Dutch)

  • Billyoscar
    10 years ago

    SEED STARTING FOR THE HOME GARDEN
    I have discovered a cheap, simple method of starting flower and vegetable seeds for the home garden. It utilizes the principle of capillary action and a moist newspaper mat. To construct such a device, the following items will be required:

    1. A roller paint tray obtained from the paint department of a box store.
      2. A 5-foot length of 1ü inch PVC pipe obtained from the plumbing department of the same store. This needs to be cut into 25 2-inch cylinders and then filled with a good seed starting mix.
      3. A 6-inch piece of I-inch PVC pipe to be used as a plant ejector.
      4. A half dozen sheets of newspaper.
      Lay the newspaper on the sloping part of the paint tray with several inches immersed in the paint holding well. Fill this well with water and watch as the newspaper mat slowly becomes saturated as it draws up water. Plant a few seeds in each mix-filled cylinder and tamp lightly so the bottom of the mix is in contact with the wet newspaper. It will soon start drawing up moisture via capillary action and become damp. Keep adding water to the well as needed.
      Using short pieces of an old venation blind and a lead pencil, identify each cylinder with name and date of planting.
      In a week or two, the seeds will germinate and green leaves will appear. When about 2 or 3 inches tall and ready to transplant to a larger container or the garden, use the 1â ejection tool. Place this over the green leaves of the sprouted seedling. It will telescope nicely into the 1üâ planted cylinder. Pull up on the planted cylinder and the seedling will be bottom ejected without disturbing the roots. Add fresh planting mix around the new, larger container and place in a bright-lighted window for further development.
  • itsmadmax
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    thanks for the info Billyoscar :)

    For me a little to complicated because the house is on remote and almost deserted Island haha. I will have to do it directly into the soil.

    But thanks for the input.