The Great Bluebonnet Project

[jinman]

Everyone who has read my posts probably knows by now that I have a tract of land with about two acres of bluebonnets. Some years they are spectacular and other years they are ho-hum. It just depends on weather and many factors. Unfortunately, I have very few bluebonnets near my house. The bluebonnets grow almost 1/4 mile down the road where the tract is located.

To get bluebonnets to grow, it takes more than just throwing out a bunch of seeds. If that was all there was to it, I'd just pick a bunch of seeds and sew them all over. Bluebonnets seeds have to (need to) be innoculated by nitrogen fixing bacteria (rhizobium) in order to germinate properly and in great numbers. The bacteria form nodules on the roots and the plant and roots innoculate the seeds when they fall to the ground. What I have found to be best is to transplant the entire plant with enough dirt to get the roots and bacteria spread around to do their job. This year's bluebonnet crop, as seen in the attachment, provided me plenty of plants and seeds to get-er-done. I've decided to make this the year to attempt a huge bluebonnet transplant.

 

[jinman]

There are also many theories about how to best treat blubonnet seeds to get them to grow. There are lots of methods for scarifying the seeds. One of the strangest is to soak the seeds in sulfuric acid overnight to soften the shell. I WILL NOT be soaking any seeds in acid. If mother nature wanted bluebonnets to have sulfuric acid, every patch would be full of old car batteries, right?

I first started out with a shovel. Each plant has a rootball and can easily be scooped up. After three Kawasaki Mule beds full of plants, I was reconsidering my definition of easy. It became clear that what I needed was to use my tractor to scoop up buckets of bluebonnet plants and then dump and spread them while getting some excellent seat time.

The first picture below shows the plant and it's seedpods. As you can see, each plant produces lots of seeds. The second picture is one of the individual plants I scooped up with dirt and then layed down and crushed it into the ground. When the seeds get dry and the pods open, I'll drag a hunk of chainlink fence over them to spread the seeds. Hopefully, there will be enough roots and bacteria around to innoculate the seeds.

The rest of the pictures are just shots of the area where I am "planting" seeds and my tractor's bucket full of seeds.

Another fun part of this project is that I left strips of seeds where I scooped them up. After digging seeds, I went back and dragged the remaining plants around to spread seeds again. Next year, you should not be able to tell that I "stole" seeds. At least that's my theory. With any luck, the whole area around my driveway and the rocks in the last picture will be surrounded by bluebonnets. Nothin' to do now but to wait until next spring and see how well it will turn out. It might even take two years to get going good.

 

[two_bit_score]

This is interesting. Hope your project is very successful.

 

[jimmyj]

Make sure you show us the pics next year. Very cool. Nice looking place you got there.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hi Jim,

Good to see that you are keeping busy in your retirement!!! I bet digging up wildflowers and re-planting them is something that you've been dreaming about for years. I'm looking forward to next years update and of course, more pictures of you digging them up and planting theme in the new Bluebonett pasture.

Eddie

 

[gotrocks]

Hi Jim,
Long time since I posted. But when I get a chance I'm always interested in what you are doing.

I like your project. Hope all goes well, Be watching for results.
You know the old ad slogan;
"Everything's better with Bluebonnet on it!"

"Bluebonnets seeds have to (need to) be innoculated "

That's what I was told about red clover. Was also told the seed purchased were ready to plant.

After two attempts $50 a shot we gave up.

Do you think Bluebonnets would grow in Alabama?

 

[RobS]

Impressive undertaking Jim, and your depth of knowledge is admirable. The only Bluebonnets I've ever seen grow in the deep woods. Perhaps a different plant?

Here's some from central Indiana this past spring:

(Correction, these are Blue Bells, not Bluebonnets)

 

[Bird]

I'm accustomed to seeing the bluebonnets along highway right-of-ways. Jim, how do they plant those?

 

[theboman]

Everything's better with Blue Bonnet on it!

Very cool flowers!

 

[ronjhall]

The first pictures of where you are going to plant the Bluebonnets looked like where I park my RV at your place. Later pictures show it is out nearer the road. Looking forward to seeing how the project turns out next spring.