SAN ANTONIO – Seeing our Texas bluebonnets and native wildflowers sprout up each spring is a source of pride for all Texans.
More importantly, the native wildflowers provide a healthy diverse ecosystem, especially for its pollinators. And for the most part, the months of September and October is the best time to start planting their seeds in South Texas.
“Ideally you’d be planting that seed the same time that nature does it, but if you are doing a mix and you are trying to keep it simple, fall is an excellent time,” Lee Marlow, a sustainable landscape ecologist with the San Antonio River Authority said.
Marlow said a great place to purchase seeds is through Native American Seed, a local company out of Junction, but they have a warehouse in New Braunfels and really know their native plants.
Native American Seed has a great digital catalog of all the different types of native plants, how to plant them and articles on their sustainability. Marlow said the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is also a valuable resource when it comes to all things native plants.
She said you need to follow some simple steps to see those seeds bloom in the Spring.
Rather than tossing them in the grass she says they need to make soil contact. You’ll want to toss them onto the dirt directly, sometimes tilling that soil and clearing it of grass, as it will yield better results. She said don’t bury your seeds, as placing them just on top of the soil is ideal.
“If you are doing a small area, maybe sprinkling it around, making walking around on top of it, maybe lightly raking it is the best way to do because you don’t want to bury those seeds,” Marlow said.
She said burying the seeds too deep may cause them not to germinate. You may also see some of the seeds sprout this Fall and that is okay, as those seedlings will most likely die in the winter but if the roots have developed and become strong enough, then you may see some strong growth in the Spring.
And for the first few weeks, make sure to keep the soil moist, especially since the ground is very dry from the current drought.
Do a couple of deep waterings, and then hand water daily for the first couple of weeks after planting.
Marlow said most importantly be patient, because some might not start growing right away.
”Some of them might wait for another year,” Marlow said. “Usually the seeds, they know what they are doing. They wait for the right conditions, that may or may not happen and usually that is rain dependent and temperature dependent.”
If you still nervous about planting native seeds the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is having a native plant sale now through Oct. 30 every Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.