Hey people! I’m located in western Slovakia (Central Europe) and would like to start a wildflower meadow sometime during the end of March or even the start of April. It is going to replace the lawn in the middle of our plot. It is in a sunny place and no chemicals have been used for ~3 years, although the ground is not super ideal for it (not nutrient-poor). My question is: will the seeds be able to germinate if I just go over the space with a verticutter? Should I try to remove the lawn fully (i. e. using a hoe)? Cover it with cardboard to let the lawn die? I have read the excellent Wild Your Garden book by The Butterfly Brothers, and they recommend rotovating. But that seems like a lot of work. What was your experience or what species would be suitable? I’m all ears!
Know what species are natural and which are invasive to your area. Make sure you plant only native wildflowers. This may mean learning about plants this season, collecting seed and planting next year. Know your plants and seeds and watch for plants you do not want to add if you are using pre-mixed seed. If you are starting plants vs seeding the area, know what type of environment each likes best and grow them accordingly.
You will have to somehow deal with the grass or it will just choke the plants before they even establish. You can remove it, till it and remove the larger clumps or cover it for a period of time to kill the root structure. Depending on if you are building an amended bed in that area for the flowers would also depend on if you could use a hugelculture or lasagna method of smothering the existing grass.
What are your soils like? Where we live we have very heavy clay predominantly. Where we lived previously, we had meters and meters of beautiful loam and topsoil. Knowing your soils would also help us narrow down practices that are best suited for your location.