Self Seeding Flowers for Fall Sowing

Self seeding flowers for fall sowing are a great addition to any flower garden because they are easy to care for and will renew themselves year after year.

Sunflowers are a great choice for self-seeding.

Most people think of the spring as the time to plant flowers, other than spring-blooming bulbs, but there are a lot of flowers you can grow from seed that is sown in the fall.

Because the weather is mild in the fall, it's a good time for planting. Hardy perennials planted in the fall can focus on root growth rather than flower formation, which will make them stronger plants next year.

Planting in the fall also means that you'll have to use less water, since there tends to be more rain in the fall than there is in the summer, and it is cooler in the fall which means there's less stress on the plants in general.

If you're buying plants from the garden center, you'll often save money by planting in the fall because everyone else is focused on planting in the spring, and you'll get a good deal on closeouts.

Flowers planted in the fall, especially those planted from seed, will also bloom earlier in the spring than those planted in the spring. This makes sense because they'll get started growing right away when it gets warm in the spring.

You don't have to focus exclusively on plants when you're thinking about fall planting. There are plenty of self seeding flowers for fall sowing from seed that will guarantee you a bounty of great flowers next year and for many years to come.

Many of the most popular self-seeders are wildflowers, which bring a lovely informal look to the flower garden.

Whether you're choosing seeds or plants for your garden, if you're looking for self-seeders, you're going to need to choose open pollinated or heirloom varieties of the plants. That's because other plants are genetically modified to such an extent that they do not grow true from seed.

The seed package or plant tag should be able to tell you if you are buying an open pollinated variety.

If you plant your seeds in the fall, they will flower and bloom the next spring and summer. Leaving flowers to go to seed and drop their seeds back in the soil will allow them to produce new plants the following year.

If you're looking for specific recommendations for self seeding flowers for fall sowing, take a look at this list:

• Bachelor's button
• Coneflower
• Coreopsis
• Cosmos
• Daisy
• Flax
• Larkspur
• Moss Rose
• Marigold
• Morning glory
• Nasturtium
• Pansy
• Poppy
• Strawflower
• Sunflower
• Sweet pea
• Verbena
• Zinnia

If you're planning to plant seeds or plants in the fall, it is a little bit easier than planting in the spring, but there are still steps you need to take to give your plants the best start.

Most people do not recommend fertilizing newly planted plants or seeds in the fall, but instead wait until the plants begin to grow again in the spring. Other than that, if you are planting young plants you will need to go through the same process you normally would to plant them.

For seeds, clearing the soil of all old growth and scratching the soil with a rake or lightly tilling the soil is usually enough to give seeds a good start. Scatter your seeds randomly, mixing different varieties of seeds if you like that look. Cover the seeds with soil to a depth about three times the length of the seed and then water thoroughly.

Don't cover the seeds with hay or other mulch like you might when planting grass seed. Hay usually contains weed seed, which will compete with your flower seeds. Nature always seems to give you enough weeds without helping it along.

In the spring, your little seedlings will come up when it's warm enough, and you'll have a self-perpetuating flower garden to love for years to come.

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