SAN ANTONIO – Do you want to have the Texas iconic bluebonnets, Indian blanket or golden tickseed in your yard next spring?
Now is the time to sow those wildflower seeds.
The Texas iconic bluebonnets, Indian blanket, golden tickseed or one of my personal favorites, basket flower, all native Texas wildflowers that bloom March to May and can take your sad no-grass yard to something stunning.
Check out the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center online where you can research and find the wildflowers you want to sow in your yard. Texas Parks & Wildlife has a great article about why it’s so critical for Texas land or homeowners to sow native wildflower seeds on their property.
Now is the time to sow your wildflower seeds. Mid-October thru mid-November is the best time to plant for the most success come spring. You have to sow now because native wildflower seeds require colder soil temperatures combined with appropriate watering or rainfall for seeds to germinate in the fall and be ready for the spring.
Here is how you can do it:
1). First find a sunny spot that gets six to eight hours of sun. The areas that work best are those that are clear of lots of Bermuda or St. Augustine grasses.
2). Native wildflower seeds are super hardy and can grow in almost all soils. No need to add fertilizer. I added natural compost mixed with compost that came from my compost pit, just because this area had been shaded by a now dead tree for many years and needed a little TLC.
3.) Pick your seeds. I decided to plant a bit of everything, bluebonnets and some other good wildflower mixes. Native American Seed or Douglas King Seed have great selections that you can get online or at your local nurseries.
4). Carefully scatter the seeds throughout the area, similar to tossing chicken feed. If your seeds are really small you can mix them with sand.
5). Most importantly -- don’t bury your seeds. They need soil contact and a very light layer of soil over them. For best results, gently rake them, tamp them down or simply walk on them.
6). Water, water, water! On a gentle setting, you don’t want to send the seeds flying. Do this everyday for the first two weeks, especially since we haven’t had much rain. Then water once to twice a week throughout the winter season. That is why we get really good blooms on the highways in the spring after a rainy fall or winter.
7). Don’t overthink it. You can easily go down the rabbit hole online of all the different methods of scarification or soaking your seeds. You don’t need to do this, let nature do its thing.