Buy Bluebonnet Seeds _HOT_

Sowing: To soften the hard coating on these Texas bluebonnet seeds, rub them lightly with sandpaper or soak them in 180 degrees F water overnight before sowing. Sow them in early spring, planting 1/2" deep. Keep the soil lightly moist until germination.

buy bluebonnet seeds

Seed Saving: As the seed pods develop, watch them carefully. As soon as they ripen fully they will split and drop their seed. When the pods begin to turn brown, remove them and spread them out to dry. Remove the seed from the pods and store it in a cool, dry place. Keep in mind that Texas bluebonnet seeds are highly poisonous.

I planted these seeds about 2 years ago and im still waiting on the flowers to emerge. The seeds sprouted quickly and I have quite a few of these plants and theyre healthy. I live in northeastern Tennessee and our soil is mainly clay so that might be whats holding them back. No complaints for the seed quality though. Hoping to see flowers soon! Still great quality!

Grow Texas Bluebonnet from fresh Lupinus texensis flower seeds. Texas Bluebonnet is a biennial flowering plant that was selected to become the state flower of Texas in 1905. They produce stunning, deep blue or indigo colored blooms. Each Texas Bluebonnet plant grows to a mature height of 8 to 12 inches tall, displaying rows of flowers along its stems. The tops of these flowers are often times white to pale yellow.

Texas Bluebonnet seeds can be placed in the fridge overnight, later pouring boiling water over top of them. Let the seeds soak for several hours afterwards, allowing the water to soften the hard outer shell. Next, prepare the sowing area by removing all unwanted plants and weeds. Scatter the Bluebonnet seeds evenly to the surface of the soil. Cover thinly with 1/8" of topsoil as the seeds will require light to germinate properly.

Texas Bluebonnet seeds can take up to 28 days to successfully germinate, however most seeds will begin to crack open within 14 to 21 days after sowing. The plants reach a mature height of about 8 to 12 inches tall and can be spaced 6 to 8 inches apart from one another. After established, the Texas Bluebonnet will display carpets of beautiful indigo-blue flowers.

JERRY M. PARSONS, STEVE GEORGE AND GREG GRANT TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION LORE OF THE BLUEBONNETBluebonnets have been loved since man first trod the vast prairies ofTexas. Indians wove fascinating folk tales around them. The early-daySpanish priests gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions. This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had brought the plantfrom Spain, but this cannot be true since the two predominant species ofbluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas and at no other locationin the world. As historian Jack Maguire so aptly wrote, "It's not only the stateflower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsidersas cowboy boots and the Stetson hat." He goes on to affirm that "Thebluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossomto Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland."The ballad of our singing governor, the late W. Lee O'Daniel, goes, "youmay be on the plains or the mountains or down where the sea breezes blow,but bluebonnets are one of the prime factors that make the state the mostbeautiful land that we know.Read about the Legend of the Pink Bluebonnet. TEXAS HAS FIVE STATE FLOWERS? As our state flower, bluebonnets have a most interesting history. Texasactually has five state flowers, more or less, and they are all bluebonnets. Here is how it happened. In the spring of 1901, the Texas Legislature got down to the serious businessof selecting a state floral emblem and the ensuing battle was hot and heavy. One legislator spoke emotionally in favor of the cotton boll since cottonwas king in Texas in those days. Another, a young man from Uvalde, extolled the virtues of the cactus so eloquently, noting the hardy durability ofthe plant and the orchid-like beauty of its flowers, that he earned thenickname of "Cactus Jack" which stuck with him for the restof his life. He was John Nance Garner and later became vice presidentof the United States. But the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in Texas won theday. Their choice was Lupinus subcarnosus ("generally knownas buffalo clover or bluebonnet," stated the resolution) and it waspassed into law on March 7 without any recorded opposition. And that's when the polite bluebonnet war was started. Lupinus subcarnosus is a dainty little plant which paints the sandy,rolling hills of coastal and southern Texas with sheets of royal-blue inthe early spring. But some folks thought it was the least attractive ofthe Texas bluebonnets. They wanted Lupinus texensis, the showier, bolderblue beauty which covers most of Texas and gives inspiration to many anartist. So, off and on for 70 years, the Legislature was encouraged to correctits oversight. But the wise Solons of Capital Hill weren't about to getcaught in another botanical trap, nor did they want to offend the supportersof Lupinus subcarnosus. They solved the problem with typical politicalmaneuvering. In 1971, the Legislature handled the dilemma by adding the two speciestogether, plus "any other variety of bluebonnet not heretofore recorded",and lumped them all into one state flower. Among the many things the Legislature did not know then was that the bigstate of Texas is home to three other species of Lupines and the umbrellaclause makes all five of them the state flower. And, if any new speciesare discovered, they automatically will assume the mantle of state floweras well. The five state flowers of Texas are: Lupinus subcarnosus, the original champion and still co-holderof the title, grows naturally in deep sandy loams from Leon County southwestto LaSalle County and down to the northern part of Hidalgo County in theValley. It is often referred to as the sandy land bluebonnet. The plant'sleaflets are blunt, sometimes notched with silky undersides. This species,which reaches peak bloom in late March, is not easy to maintain in clay soils. Lupinus texensis, the favorite of tourists and artists, providesthe blue spring carpet of Central Texas. It is widely known as THE Texasbluebonnet. It has pointed leaflets, the flowering stalk is tipped withwhite (like a bunny's tail) and hits its peak bloom in late March and earlyApril. It is the easiest of all the species to grow. Lupinus Havardii, also known as the Big Bend or Chisos Bluebonnet,is the most majestic of the Texas bluebonnet tribe with flowering spikesup to three feet. It is found on the flats of the Big Bend country inearly spring, usually has seven leaflets and is difficult to cultivateoutside its natural habitat. Lupinus concinnus is an inconspicuous little lupine, from 2to 7 inches, with flowers which combine elements of white, rosy purpleand lavender. Commonly known as the annual lupine, it is found sparinglyin the Trans-Pecos region, blooming in early spring. Lupinus plattensis sneaks down from the north into the TexasPanhandle's sandy dunes. It is the only perennial species in the stateand grows to about two feet tall. It normally blooms in mid to late springand is also known as the dune bluebonnet, the plains bluebonnet and theNebraska Lupine. TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF SEED GERMINATION September and October are the months for planting cold hardy fall annualswhich bloom profusely the following spring. This concept is a hard itemto sell to most people who are convinced that customarily "Aprilshowers bring May flowers", therefore, they don't consider plantinguntil April. Nature, on the other hand, doesn't need convincing that fallIS the best and proper time for planting winter annuals. A number ofspring- blooming wildflowers germinate in the fall, their tops remaining small and inconspicuous while developing a massive root system throughoutthe winter, then provide us with a riot of color during April and May. The bluebonnet is one of these. Although heat is needed to germinate the seed, cool weather is needed todevelop the bluebonnet's root structure. Basically, cultural practices for the Texas state flower have not beenchanged or significantly researched in the past century. Because of researchsupported and funded by the Worthington Hotel of Ft. Worth and thanksto modern agricultural technology, the bluebonnet is finally becoming"all that it can be", taking its place among our most treasured,hardy bedding plants. The clue to successfully cultivating bluebonnets lies in a knowledge ofthe seed. The seeds resemble small, flat pea- gravel and are multi-coloredwith slate blue and light tan being the most common hues. People can nowbuy bluebonnet seed which will germinate and begin growing within tendays rather than the months required previously. One might think that any seed, if viable, will grow when planted; not so with the bluebonnet. Nature has structured the bluebonnet seed in such a way that only asmall percentage of the seed germinates during the first season afterplanting. This delayed germination ensures species survival during periodsof adverse growing conditions such as prolonged drought. Nature may wantto ration bluebonnet seed germination but planters of the state flowerwant each and every seed to germinate and grow rapidly. To ensure rapid, high percentage germination, the bluebonnet seed has tobe treated to remove inhibiting properties of the seed coat which otherwiseprevent water uptake and the initiation of growth. This process of seedtreatment is referred to as scarification. Seed which has been properlyscarified will germinate within 10 days after planting in a moist soil. Seedlings of scarified seed are also more vigorous. PLANTING POINTERSFor years, wildflower lovers have planted bluebonnet seed and wonderedwhat happened to the beautiful spring bloom which they expected. First of all, if common bluebonnet seed is used which has not been chemicallytreated (scarified), one doesn't have much chance for success. The germinationof non-scarified seed is sometimes less than 20 percent. This means thatassuming you do everything correctly (pest control, optimum moisture),one could only expect, at best, 20 seeds to grow out of every 100 planted using non-scarified seed. Also, one can't even expect all of those 20seeds to sprout simultaneously as sprouting may occur over a 30 day period. The availability of chemically scarified seed solves this age-old problem.Of course, getting seed to germinate and plants to emerge from the soilis just the beginning. To insure success you must have first chosen theoptimum planting site. Emerging seedlings must be protected from the ravagesof pillbugs and rotting by soil fungi. Most would-be bluebonnet growerskill plants with too much water. Remember, bluebonnets are actually verydrought tolerant and as such are very susceptible to death from overwatering. To avoid possible problems with seed germination, many people will wantto use transplants instead. Transplants, being older, tougher plants,are much easier to handle and establish. The transplant is also easierto space so that stand establishment in formal plantings is assured. Transplantsas well as scarified seed of white, pink, and 'Worthington Blue' bluebonnetsare available to accentuate and complement the beauty of the more commonblue variety. One way to ensure successful bluebonnet bloom from seed or transplantsis to plant them in an ideal location. Ideal can be defined with one word,sunny. Bluebonnets will not perform well if grown in the shade or in anarea which receives less than 8-10 hours of direct sunlight. If grownin a shaded area, the plant will be tall and spindly with few blooms. Bluebonnets will thrive in any soil as long as it is well drained. Ifyou are plagued with a sticky clay soil, try building raised (6 inchesor more) planting beds and amending the soil with 3-4 inches of organicmatter (compost, tree leaves, spoiled hay, etc.) Don't keep the soil toowet; just keep it slightly moist. Remember that once plants become established (two or three weeks after planting), they are drought tolerant and oneof Texas' toughest natives. Damping-off, a fungal disease complex which causes stem rotting, is notas prevalent with tough-stemmed transplants as with tender, emerging seedlings. To minimize damping-off, avoid planting in beds with a history of thiscondition, use transplants rather than seed and do not over water. Also remember that during early growth, bluebonnets form ground-huggingrosettes. The whole plant may not be over several inches tall but theleaves may cover an area the size of a dinner plate. This is a naturalcondition and regardless of how much one waters or fertilizes, the plantwill not grow rapidly until the warmth of spring initiates flower stalks. It is also natural for the lower leaves to turn a crimson color afterthe first freeze. Beneath the rosette of leaves, a large mass of rootsis growing. These roots have the ability to form nitrogen-fixing noduleswhich are filled with beneficial bacteria that can take nitrogen from theatmosphere and feed the plant. This means that fertilization can alsobe kept to a minimum. No additional fertilizer needs to be added to bluebonnetplanting beds since most established planting beds have an abundance ofplant nutrients remaining from fertilization of previous crops. When actually planting bluebonnet seed, FORGET THE IDEA OF JUST THROWINGOR SCATTERING THE SEED IN THE GRASS! Much bluebonnet seed has beenwasted as bird feed using this scattering technique. The seed MUST belightly covered or raked into the soil. In naturalized fields of bluebonnets,the seed is gradually covered by washing soil and defoliation of weedsand grass, BUT IT IS COVERED BEFORE IT ACTUALLY GERMINATES. When planting a bluebonnet transplant, be careful not to plant it too deeply. You will notice that all of the leaves arise from a central crown-likestructure. This crown should not be buried, otherwise the plant will rot. Major enemies of seedlings and transplants are small, nocturnal menacesreferred to as pillbugs, rolly-pollys, sowbugs, and several other nameswhich should not be mentioned in polite company. These hungry devils can devour plants overnight. Many times the devastatingonslaught does not occur immediately after planting. To ensure seedlingand transplant survival, it is wise to broadcast pillbug bait around thenewly established or emerging plants and do so weekly during the firstmonth after planting. ADD PANSIES FOR WINTER COLOR Many would-be, patriotic planters of bluebonnets have been discouragedwith the idea of a non-blooming winter bluebonnet plant. From Septemberuntil April, bluebonnets are a hard sell item to those who demand beautyfrom flower beds all year. This problem can be solved by interplantingwith other fall annuals which serve as companion plants to provide interimbeauty. After several years of testing and some record-breaking cold winters, the recommended companion plants for bluebonnets are pansies, dusty miller,dianthus, spring-flowering bulbs (tulips, etc.), ornamental cabbage orkale and Drummond red phlox. Most of these flowering plants will be overgrownby the bluebonnets in March as they begin to expand. At that time, remnantsof the interim annuals can be removed, thus allowing the bluebonnets totake center stage. To ensure continuous beauty and utilize the texture of the bluebonnet foliageas a background, plant bluebonnet transplants in rows 24 inches apart. Transplants should be 12 inches or less apart in the row. Then betweeneach row of bluebonnets, or every 12 inches, plant a row of pansies, ornamentalkale, cabbage, dianthus, dusty miller, spring-blooming bulbs or Drummondred phlox. Bluebonnets also make a great companion plants for summer blooming perennialssuch as lantana, mealy cup sage, autumn sage, and Michalmas daisy. Theseand similar plants can be cut to the ground after the first frost and interplantedwith bluebonnet transplants. As the bluebonnets fade in late spring, theycan be removed as the warm season perennials begin to emerge. In addition, bluebonnets make great plants for containers such as whiskeybarrels and terracotta pots. The pots should be filled with a pottingmix which drains well and placed in a sunny location. Bluebonnets arean ideal low maintenance flower with which to replace summer color containerplants (copper plants, periwinkles, purslane)--particularly those arounddecks, patios and pools which won't be used again until spring. The following spring, as the bluebonnets fade, replace them with your favorite heatloving flowers. To keep bluebonnets blooming longer, remove old blossoms. This encouragesa profusion of side shoots to develop and bloom while eliminating seedproduction which would otherwise stop the bloom cycle. For maximum impact and beauty in the landscape, use large drifts of a singlecolor rather than a hodge-podge sprinkling of many colors. For example,a line of blue pansies (interplanted with one color of bluebonnets) reinforcingthe line of your patio is most striking. Cool colors such as blue makean area appear farther away, whereas reds and yellows bring an area closer.Bluebonnet planting time is also important. Many people wait until theysee bluebonnet plants blooming in the spring to begin planting. IT'STOO LATE to plant transplants in the spring. Fall is the optimum time! The sooner in the fall (beginning in September) chemically-scarifiedseed and transplants are planted, the larger the plants will grow in the spring and subsequently more bloom will occur. Root systems of seedlingsand transplants established in early fall expand more and are able to producea larger plant when top growth and bloom begins in the spring. Chemically-scarifiedseed should be planted no later than September 15 in North Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth) and Thanksgiving in South Texas (San Antonio). Transplants shouldbe planted no later than Halloween in North Texas; Valentine's Day inSouth Texas. A major advantage of the commercial production of bluebonnet seed and,consequently, transplant availability is that it eliminates the problemof the homeowner having to wait until plants produce dry seed in June beforeremoving old, ugly, dried plants. Rather than suffering with the uglinessof a dying, drying plant (which can endure longer than 40 days after bloom),remove the plant after bloom has occurred. Who cares about the plant formingseed! You will be able to buy more fast germinating, reliably producingseed as well as transplants next year. Gardeners don't save seed of petunias,pansies, marigolds, etc. and NOW we don't have to worry about having adependable supply of the state flower's seed. EXCITING NEW COLORS Texas Cooperative Extension horticulturists in cooperation with seed producers,bedding plant growers and vegetable farmers have domesticated the bluebonnetwildflower into a new multi- million dollar bedding plant. People often ask how did such a wonderful project begin and why hadn'tit been done before. In 1982, a terminally ill entrepreneur and Texasnaturalist named Carroll Abbott, known to some as "Mr. Texas Bluebonnet",implanted in the mind of Extension horticulturists a dream of plantingthe design of our state flag comprised entirely of the state flower tocelebrate the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial. This seemingly simple proposal and what has been involved to make it a reality have involved thousandsof people, created a multi-million dollar agricultural industry, ge