From grass to Flowers?

[lennyzx11]

I’d like to convert an acre or two of our place from mowed field to wildflowers.
Kinda unsure where to start.
Should I get a plow and turn the top sod over?
Or go with a PTO driven tiller after cutting grass short as possible?
I can’t use anything like roundup to kill it all as there is a wetland protected area downhill and next to it.
It doesn’t bother me to buy the equipment, just want to get the right stuff first.
I plan on eventually expanding up to about 5 acres of a vegetable or flower crop like lilacs but still researching that for now.

Last frost is around 1May so I’d like to start soon if I have time to get ready for this year.
In southern Vermont which is in Zone 5b.

 

[Thomas]

Might kinda hard on rototiller if land has rocks,someone near by could turn the soil over follow disk harrows remove rocks etc,than fluff soil with rototiller.

 

[RalphVa]

Doing flowers should work the same as doing a milkweed patch. I covered the grass with newspaper and then put a couple inches of mulch on top. Put the milkweed plants and seeds right into the mulch. Actually, the first year, I also put in flower seeds. Both the milkweed and flowers did fine, flowers especially that 1st year. Took the milkweed a couple more years to really populate the patch. The flowers have dwindled because I didn't keep adding more seeds back like I did milkweed.

If you plow or rototill, you'll just bring up more weed seeds.

Ralph

 

[hunt4570]

Doing flowers should work the same as doing a milkweed patch. I covered the grass with newspaper and then put a couple inches of mulch on top. Put the milkweed plants and seeds right into the mulch. Actually, the first year, I also put in flower seeds. Both the milkweed and flowers did fine, flowers especially that 1st year. Took the milkweed a couple more years to really populate the patch. The flowers have dwindled because I didn't keep adding more seeds back like I did milkweed.

If you plow or rototill, you'll just bring up more weed seeds.

Ralph

Just curious.. Why milkweed?? Attracting Monarch butterflies or what? I get milkweed but I never heard anyone planting it.