Site Selection
Prairie wildflowers do best if they receive full sun all day, but will thrive with at least six hours of sun daily. Most species are adapted to average to well-drained soil and are very drought tolerant.

Site Preparation
Thorough site preparation is critical to establishing prairie wildflowers. Existing weeds and weed seeds must be eradicated. Several methods may be used to prepare the seedbed. For small areas, sod may be removed with a sod cutter or may be smothered with plastic and/or mulch. For larger areas the quickest, most effective method is a combination of tilling and herbicide treatments. Repeated tilling without the use of herbicide can also be effective, and of course is more environmentally friendly. Depending upon the site, preparation may be done the same season as planting, but in very weedy areas such as old fields, site preparation may take one or two growing seasons.

Seeding
Seeds may be planted in fall or spring, depending upon site conditions. If the site is weed free by early May, seeds may be sown then to take advantage of spring rains. Seed can be sown throughout the growing season, but later plantings may require irrigation to get established. On weed-free sites a fall planting can be successful. The advantage to fall planting is that some species have a higher germination rate following a period of cold weather.