How to Germinate Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets is the common name for Lupinus texensis, a biennial species of wildflower endemic to Texas. Many gardeners include bluebonnets in their garden for their showy clusters of blue and white flowers, which are sweetly fragrant and attractive to bees. It is best to germinate bluebonnet seeds directly in the garden in spring since they do not transplant well from containers. However, the seeds will not germinate if planted in boggy soil so they must be sown in a bed with well-draining soil and full sun in order to reliably sprout.

Coarse sand
Compost
Rotary tiller
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Germinate bluebonnet seeds anytime after the last spring frost until late April. Wait until the soil warms to a minimum of 55 degrees F. to sow the seeds.
- 2
  Prepare the bed as soon as the soil warms to the appropriate temperature. Work a 3-inch-thick layer of coarse sand and compost into the bed with a rotary tiller or cultivating fork to improve the drainage.
- 3
  Sow the bluebonnet seeds by hand. Broadcast small pinches of seed across the surface of the bed so approximately five fall on each square foot.
- 4
  Spread a 1/8-inch-thick layer of soil on top of the seeds so they are covered. Settle the soil by showering it with a garden hose.
- 5
  Water the bed every other day so the bluebonnet seeds are constantly surrounded by moist soil. Wet the soil to a depth of two inches. Avoid overwatering the seeds since a boggy bed will cause them to rot.
- 6
  Watch for the first signs of sprouting in approximately two weeks, but the other seeds will continue to germinate over the course of 75 days. Thin the seeds, if desired, as soon as they emerge.

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