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Tuesday - January 12, 2010

From: Midland, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Propagation
Title: When can bluebonnet seeds in freezer be planted in Midland TX
Answered by: Janice Kvale

QUESTION:

I have a large pkg of bluebonnets in my freezer that I had planned to plant in October and forgot. Is January too late for Bluebonnets to come up in March-April? A year ago in Spring my brother and I visited the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center. It was fantastic. Thank you so much for having such a beautiful place to visit.

ANSWER:

Alas! The last possible planting date for Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet) is December 15. I fear you will be disappointed if you plant your seed now. What would happen most likely is that some will germinate and grow but before they are well established they will die in the hot, dry months. It is possible that some seeds will stay dormant in the soil now and germinate next fall. But you may have better success waiting until next October and planting the seeds you have in the freezer then. This will give you time to select and prepare your best site for bluebonnets.You may want to review the "rules" for bluebonnets at the following web sites: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/public_involvement/wildflowers/planting_bluebonnets.htm and http://www.wildflower.org/howto/.

In the meantime, we invite you to again visit the beautiful Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, dedicated to preserving the native flora in Texas and the United States. April is the month for a good show of bluebonnets and the crop this year appears promising.

Keep the faith; you shall have bluebonnets!