I would like to get some more wild flowers and flax started in a few spots. Has anyone had any experience with flax that is will come back each year by reseeding itself do you think it will reseed each year?? Here is a picture of one spot I would like to enhance with more flowering plants that would come back each year by reseeding. Any plants or experience with this processes would be appreciated.

Do you have any poultry manure close by? That stuff makes all kinds of wildflowers take off. I guessing your soil fertility is a tad on the weak side. Maybe some lime would help give your soil a boost.

Cattle folks around here have lime spread on their hay fields every spring. I know they get at least 3 cuttings every year - sometimes 4.
Mr. run may have something here...

Well as far as spreading manure or do any kind of working of the ground it would be impossible. There isn't any way to get machinery into any of this where I want to spread some seeds. I am mostly interested in if flax will reseed itself? No poultry of any that I know of around this part of the country. This is mainly cattle open range country in rough terrain.
Thanks

They grow a fair amount of flax around me, and some will come up the following spring that was dropped. I would look into Sainfoin. It does well in central MT and if it ever starts you would have to spray it to kill it. It is a grown for hay. It does well in poor ground. I planted some across the road and I have deer in it all the time. The cattle may keep it ate off where it doesn't take hold.

MJM >>> outstanding thanks. I'm looking for something that takes no care, and in hopes it reseeds itself.

Sainfoin is good stuff.

Sainfoin would not require any care and would reseed itself as long as the cows don't keep it mowed to the point it won't bloom. The deer really like it too.

I suggest you find your local wildflower fanatics(there will be some) and get suggestions from them. Call your county offices.
Stick with native species to your area. Once you let some things loose there is no getting rid of them.

Yep, another great idea. I know the county agent well, and never even thought about asking about this.

ODNR gives away free wildflower seeds at their district, satellite and state offices. The Montana DNR might too.

Keitn

I agree with Squacks.

Sainfoin does not reseed, it is a variety of alfalfa so perennial with a very deep tap root. You will more than likely have to scratch the dirt up a bit to get it started but it will be there forever once you do. The elk love it, lot of ranchers refer to it as "elk candy". It does very well on poor ground. Commercial flax does not reseed very well, you get a little the second season around the edges of a flax field but not a lot. There is a wild flax in MT that always comes back in the same spots. I can't remember when it blooms for sure but seems like mid summer. If you could find some and collect some seeds it might do well for you. I have seen it growing on dry rocky road cuts.

^ actually the picture at the top is wild flax and it is blooming now. It lose it's pedals each day and regrows them and repeats they seem to bloom through mid to late summer here. A tough plant that grows about any place imaginable.

Be careful what you introduce.. years ago mom and all the other ladies planted snap dragons in flowerbeds (toadflax) it has spread to the pastures and became a problem... cant kill it and cows wont eat it it has taken off in some spots really bad. i ran goats on it for a test for usda.. goats didnt eat it until it flowered was just a short window where they went through and cleaned it up..was 400 hd on 80 acres and at that point was all that was left to eat.. so we concluded goats werent viable option for control.. they were working on a bug but at that time hadnt had it developed yet. this was 15 years ago

What we are battling is oriental bittersweet. It's a beautiful vineyard weed that takes over everything. Some weeds I can get steers to eat by pouring molasses on the weeds. I know molasses is expensive but you can buy it in 2.5 gal. jugs.

To make it go a lot further, cut it with water and spray it on the plants. All they need it a whiff of it and the taste.

Thanks, Big Bob. For your help.

There are some wild flower specie that improve your soil. Native clovers and lupine will fix atmospheric nitrogen into your soil. I believe these are all in the legume family.
Again, I would stick to plants native to your area.

^ thanks for that information. Yes, you are right about native plants and not invasive.