Is It OK To Plant Yellow Rattle At The Same Time As Meadow/country Garden Wildflower Seeds?

I had a successful wildflower area in my garden in the summer of ’23. I hoped/expected it to self re-seed and reappear in ’24. However this year, 2024, it has been a disappointment. I have been advised to plant Yellow Rattle to limit the grass growth. Is it OK yo plant both wildflower and yellow rattle seed simultaneously in September/October”

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1 Comment To "Is It OK To Plant Yellow Rattle At The Same Time As Meadow/country Garden Wildflower Seeds?"

#1 Comment By GKH_Susan On 09/19/2025 @ 12:18 am

You could plant them at the same time but yellow rattle will probably take over any other wildflowers. It is considered invasive and hard to get rid of. A better option would be to get rid of the grass, then start over with wildflower seed. You can cover the area with clear plastic and leave it for six to 8 weeks in warm weather, or you can use a non-selective herbicide to kill the grass. There also are herbicides that will kill grass but not flowers, but you have to make sure your flowers are listed on the label as safe from this product.

Here is more:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/managing-yellow-rattle.htm ^[1]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/grass-growing-in-flower-bed.htm ^[2]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm ^[3]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/a-wildflower-garden-in-your-backyard.htm ^[4]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/top-of-the-crop/top-5-tips-growing-wildflowers ^[5]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/the-wild-side-of-gardening-using-wildflowers-and-native-plants.htm ^[6]

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URLs in this post:

[1] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/managing-yellow-rattle.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/managing-yellow-rattle.htm

[2] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/grass-growing-in-flower-bed.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/grass-growing-in-flower-bed.htm

[3] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm

[4] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/a-wildflower-garden-in-your-backyard.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/a-wildflower-garden-in-your-backyard.htm

[5] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/top-of-the-crop/top-5-tips-growing-wildflowers: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/top-of-the-crop/top-5-tips-growing-wildflowers

[6] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/the-wild-side-of-gardening-using-wildflowers-and-native-plants.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/the-wild-side-of-gardening-using-wildflowers-and-native-plants.htm

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