Approaches to wildflower meadow establishment

Several aspects of wildflower meadow establishment using native Virginia herbaceous perennial species were investigated. The initial task lay in identifying the truly native species from those European introductions which have successfully naturalized in the state. Germination testing was conducted in accordance with procedures deemed feasible for use by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Direct seeding in the field, either in spring or fall, failed to produce acceptable levels of emergent plants. Under two treatments conducted in the greenhouse many species germinated well. Weed control is the most critical factor in successful wildflower meadow establishment. Dacthal®, Pennant®, and Treflan® all suppressed germination and/or retarded development of at least some of the five species tested. Use of these three herbicides is not recommended in conjunction with seeding of Virginia wildflowers. Direct seeding a nurse crop of non-persistent species in the spring which would be followed by installation of the native mix in the fall was investigated. Soil analysis and subsequent development of the Virginia wildflower mix failed to differentiate any soil quality influence of the nurse crop as compared to the other two treatments. Direct seeding was compared to the use of the Virginia Tech Transplanted Meadow (VTTM) technique developed by Lyons for fall establishment. High levels of winter survival, strong competitive ability against weeds, and good spring growth by the wildflower species indicate that the VTTM technique is a promising method for establishing wildflower meadows. Further research is needed to determine the long term performance of a native Virginia wildflower meadow.