How to Get Texas Blue Bonnet Seeds to Germinate

The Texas bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) carpets open spaces in the Lone Star state with swaths of blue in spring as a native annual wildflower, but you can cultivate these flowers wherever you live. Unlike most annual flower seeds, bluebonnets require fall sowing four to six weeks before the first frost. The seeds usually germinate during winter, although they put on minimal new growth. Once temperatures warm and the days become longer, the bluebonnets put on a burst of growth followed by flowers. Like most wildflowers, bluebonnets thrive with minimal care and will often self-seed and naturalize in the garden bed.

Rake
Bowl
Sand

Instructions

- 1
  Rake the planting site, removing any thatch or dead plant material so the bare soil is visible. Plant Texas bluebonnet seeds in a well-drained area with loose soil that receives at least eight hours of sunlight daily in spring.
- 2
  Place the Texas bluebonnet seeds in a non-glass bowl and freeze them in the freezer overnight. Pour boiling water over the frozen seeds the following day and soak the seeds in the water for four hours. This process, called scarification, helps the seeds germinate more readily.
- 3
  Mix the Texas bluebonnet seeds with an equal amount of sand to help you distribute the small seeds evenly. Broadcast the seeds over the prepared ground evenly, sowing approximately eight to 10 seeds per square foot.
- 4
  Walk on the seeded area to press the seeds into the soil, but do not cover them with additional soil. Water the ground lightly so it doesn't dry out completely, but avoid overwatering that leads to waterlogged or soggy conditions. The seeds germinate in fall or early winter, but most growth will occur in spring.
- 5
  Resume watering in spring only if the soil begins to dry out completely. Texas bluebonnets tolerate drought and too much moisture kills the plants.

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