Hunt County Master GardenersTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Bluebonnet Seeds Are Available!

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Sharing information from the Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District:

Bluebonnet Seeds are on sale now with Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District!

The Upper Sabine Soil & Water Conservation District is happy to once again make bluebonnet seed available to the public for purchase so that everyone can enjoy these beautiful flowers, next spring. Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District will be selling seed until October 31. The Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District will offer 1 pound and ½ pounds bags. The cost for one pound of seed is $35.00 including tax and will cover an area of approximately one thousand square feet or $20.00 for a half pound which will cover approximately 500 square feet. An acre requires 20 to 30 pounds.

Fall is the time for planting Bluebonnets to enjoy next Spring. Plant seeds now through mid-November to allow seeds to germinate and achieve best results. Soil preparation is not necessary, but direct seed to soil contact is necessary for a strong root system. This soil contact is one of the most important keys to the success of planting Bluebonnets. After seeding, cover seeds with soil no more than ¼ inch deep to protect seeds from birds and being “baked” by the sun. Water thoroughly and keep lightly watered for the first 3 weeks if rain is not present. Fertilizing is not recommended as it only produced more leaves not blooms. Flowering period is about a month, with first blooms appearing between the end of March and first of May in North East Texas. Allow two weeks after the full bloom for seeds to develop. Mow, when the dead brown foliage offsets the floral display, to aid in seed dispersal and reduce weed and grasses competition. Bluebonnet seeds are hard-coated seeds that have to be worn down by the environmental forces for seedlings to sprout. This process can take over 18 months or more so germination rates may be low the first year or two.

If you are interested in purchasing the seed, you may call 903-455-6212 Ext. 3 and make arrangements to pick up the seed or simply stop by the USDA Service Center at 2206 Traders Road behind the Wal-Mart Super Center, in Greenville, 8:00-4:30, Monday thru Friday.

Bluebonnets

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Bluebonnets by Pat Newell.

Bluebonnets have been loved since man first trod the vast prairies of Texas. Indians wove fascinating folk tales around them. The early-day Spanish priests gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions. It’s not only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat. The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland.

September and October are the months for planting Bluebonnets. The seed actually germinates in fall, their tops remaining small and inconspicuous while developing the massive root system throughout the winter, to be able to provide us with a riot of spring color during April and May. Although heat is needed to germinate the seed, cool weather is needed to develop the bluebonnet’s root structure. Many people wait until they see bluebonnet plants blooming in the spring to begin planting. It’s too late to plant seeds in the spring. Fall is the optimum time for chemically-scarified seed to be planted.  Root systems established in early fall expand more and are able to produce a larger plant when top growth and bloom begins in the spring. Chemically-scarified seed should be planted no later than October 15 in North Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth).

For years, wildflower lovers have planted bluebonnet seed and wondered what happened to the beautiful spring bloom which they expected. First of all, if common bluebonnet seed is used which has not been chemically treated (scarified), one doesn’t have much chance for success. The germination of non-scarified seed is sometimes less than 20 percent. To ensure rapid, high percentage germination, the bluebonnet seed has to be treated to remove inhibiting properties of the seed coat which otherwise prevent water uptake and the initiation of growth. This process of seed treatment is referred to as scarification.

Once scarified seed is in hand, you must first choose the ideal planting site. Ideal can be defined with one word, sunny. Bluebonnets will not perform well if grown in the shade or in an area which receives less than 8-10 hours of direct sunlight.

Bluebonnets will thrive in any soil as long as it is well drained, but soil that will not grow anything else will not grow bluebonnets either. When actually planting bluebonnet seed, forget the idea of just throwing or scattering the seed in the field!  Much bluebonnet seed has been wasted as bird feed using this scattering technique. The seed must come in contact with the dirt, while disturbing the ground as little as possible. So, to get bare dirt to show, a very light pass with a tiller, barely scratching the surface, or just a rake and a bit of elbow grease is enough to allow the seed to come in contact with the dirt. Shallow soil preparation will limit the disturbance of dormant week seed. Press the seed into the soil by walking or rolling over the newly planted area. Do not cover the seed any deeper than 1/16 of an inch

Keep in mind that during early growth, bluebonnets form ground-hugging rosettes. The whole plant may not be over several inches tall but the leaves may cover an area the size of a dinner plate. This is a natural condition and regardless of how much one waters or fertilizes, the plant will not grow rapidly until the warmth of spring initiates flower stalks. No additional fertilizer needs to be added to fields of bluebonnets; in fact over fertilization causes large plants with few blooms. Remember, bluebonnets are actually very drought tolerant and as such is very susceptible to death from overwatering.  Once plants become established (two or three weeks after planting), they are drought tolerant and one of Texas’ toughest natives, and certainly the logiest of wildflowers.

A personal note on seed choice. I planted scarified seed properly for a number of years, with no success whatsoever. I had all but given up when I discovered a vast area of blooms in a back pasture within a mile of our house. After obtaining permission, I gathered a large bag of drying seed pods.  After collecting the seed, without any treatment other than having collected the seed nearby, I now have a spectacular show every spring.

Bluebonnets

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Bluebonnets by Madeline Sullivan

Everyone loves bluebonnets because they are the Texas state flower and they are beautiful. There are six species of Lupinus in Texas known as bluebonnets, but only two species are endemic to Texas, the Texas bluebonnet and the sandyland bluebonnet. These are the ones that the highway department plants on many roadways for erosion-control and roadside beautification programs. The sandyland bluebonnet was adopted as the state flower in 1901, but because it was not as showy as the Texas bluebonnet, and popular opinion called for the other four species occurring naturally in Texas to be the state flower, in 1971, the decision was made to make all six of the lupines the state flower. Here in Hunt County only the Texas bluebonnet and the sandyland bluebonnet will grow with success.

Let’s make a little preparation before putting your bluebonnet seeds in the ground.  Bluebonnets do not like heavy grasses or wet feet. Select an area that is open to the sun, not too full of heavy grasses and not in a low area that stands in water when it rains. Bluebonnets should not be sown in an area with winter grasses such as fescue or any type of clover. The grasses and trifoliums will be too aggressive to let the bluebonnet seeds establish. Also, though, do not sow bluebonnet seeds in a bald area on which nothing has ever grown. It is certain that bluebonnets will not grow there either.

If the area you choose is full of grasses and weeds, use a herbicide to kill them in mid-September. Two weeks later check the area, as a second application of herbicide may be necessary.  Let the area lay fallow for at least 14 days. After that time, rake-up all the dead debris and make the area as clean as possible before tilling. When you till (a rake will be good), it must be shallow, not more than 1 inch deep. It works well to till in one direction and then till perpendicular to the first tilling. After tilling, rake the area to make it clean and smooth.

At the end of September to the middle of October, you are ready to plant. As you start to sow, combine the seed with a carrier such as masonry sand, perlite, or potting soil–recommendation being a minimum of 4 parts inert material to 1 part seeds. This is to increase volume and aid in even distribution over the site. Broadcast half of your seeds uniformly over the prepared area. Sow the remaining seeds in a direction perpendicular to the initial sowing.  One of the main problems of a scattered showing is not using enough seeds. So, use plenty of seeds to get a good stand of bluebonnets in the spring. After you finish sowing, press the seed into the soil by walking or rolling the newly planted area. Do not cover the seeds any deeper than 1/8 inch. Some seeds will remain visible. Keep the area moist until the seedlings are well established.

Next spring, you can enjoy your pretty bluebonnets.