Any herbicide that prevents weeds but does not hurt wildflowers?
Nancy Asked
I want to plant an acre field of wildflowers . I’ve had the field cultivated but I’m wondering if there’s any herbicide I can use that will prevent weed growth but not prevent my flowers from coming up and growing?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hi, Nancy: This is going to be beautiful! Removing the existing vegetation is essential before any planting can begin. In Kentucky, the ideal time to plant wildflowers is during the spring and early summer. If you wait, you can continue to cultivate every 2 weeks from now until the fall and then plant a cover crop. This can be tilled next spring and planting can begin. When herbicides are used, you will want to wait 2 weeks after application to cultivate and plant. If you have not already done so, this is a good opportunity to have your soil tested and adjusted if needed. You can contact your County Cooperative Extension Office to have this done. The Danville offices are located at 99 Corporate Drive. The phone number is (859) 236-4484. Visit the following sites for more information on growing wildflowers in Kentucky: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/for/for71/for71.pdf and https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Documents/wildflowers.pdf. Happy gardening!
