Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
28 September 2017
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org
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Lost and Found
Lost: Pair of red-handled bi-pass pruning shears. Possibly left on the ground near the plots to the north of the tool shed or at the tool washing station. If found, please contact Suzanne Bradford via email at budscud@gmail.com.
What to do in your garden in October
Plant:
Vegetable seeds. Beets, Carrot, Mustard, Onion, Garden Pea, Radishes, Spinach, Turnip. EARLY OCTOBER: Chinese Cabbage, Collards, Garlic, Lettuce.
Vegetable plants. Chinese Cabbage, Collards (and other Greens), Lettuce, Spinach, Turnip, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Greens, Lettuce, and Spinach can be planted throughout the fall, if they are given frost protection.
Herbs. Plants: All perennial herb plants; also Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Parsley. Seeds: Borage, Caraway, Chamomile, Chervil, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Parsley, Summer Savory.
Annual flower/ornamental seeds. Sweet Alyssum, Calendula, Centaurea, Coreopsis, Johnny Jump-Up, Larkspur, Nasturtium, Pansy, Poppy, Snapdragon, Sweet Pea.
Annual flower/ornamental plants. Sweet Alyssum, Calendula, Centaurea, Coreopsis, Johnny Jump-Up, Larkspur, Nasturtium, Pansy, Poppy, Snapdragon, Sweet Pea.
Perennials, trees, and shrubs. Plant Columbine (in a shady location) now in order to have those springtime blooms.
Bluebonnets - Time to plant!
With a little patience, you can create a patch of bluebonnets in your own yard, ranch or roadside. Although this beautiful wildflower can be found across Texas every spring, bluebonnets can be tricky to get established. It may take several years to establish a good stand of bluebonnets and they do require some particular conditions to thrive. But once they are going, your bluebonnets should reseed and reappear each spring.
Plant the seeds in October and November (early October is best).
Texas bluebonnets are annual plants, meaning they go from seed to flower to seed in one year. They germinate in the fall and grow throughout the winter, and usually bloom around the end of March to the mid-May. Around mid-May, they form a seedpod, which is green at first but turns yellow and then brown. Sometime between the yellow and brown form of the seedpod, the seeds mature. The seedpods pop open, releasing small, hard seeds.
Planting Tips
Texas bluebonnets are adapted to the rocky, alkaline soils of the Hill Country – and to its frequent droughts. In fact, they thrive in heavily disturbed, poor soils.
Texas bluebonnets produce large, hard-coated seeds that may cause them to have a low germination rate the first year or two. This is nature's "insurance" so that, in case of drought, residual seeds are left in the soil for the following year. As the hard seed coats wear down from abrasion and decay, with some water the seedlings begin to sprout.
While that hard seed coat is an excellent mechanism for survival during unfavorable years, it can frustrate the gardener who wants a spring display of colorful blooms the first year after planting. Adding to a gardener's frustration, not all seedlings that germinate successfully establish and grow to maturity. But don't despair. Over the years, researchers and gardeners have figured out how to propagate and cultivate bluebonnets.
1. Scarify the Seeds
To increase bluebonnet germination rate, scarify the seeds. Scarification means scratching or nicking the seed coats to simulate natural weathering processes. Once scarified, most seeds will germinate quickly and should be watered for several weeks, especially if the weather is dry.
You can use the following methods to scarify seeds:
- physically nick the seeds with a knife (for small quantities)
- rub the seeds with sandpaper
- freeze the seeds overnight, then quickly pour boiling water over the seeds and soak for several hours at room temperature
It is not recommended to scarify bluebonnet seeds that will not be receiving water during dry periods in the winter and early spring. Scarifying stimulates all of the seeds to germinate and does not leave residual seeds for subsequent years in the event of a drought. In addition, scarification can damage some seeds. It increases the number of seeds vulnerable to extreme weather conditions and disease causing organisms.
2. Ponder the Rhizobium
Like most legumes, the roots of bluebonnets work in association with a bacterium called Rhizobium which improves plant growth and flowering. Rhizobium allows for nitrogen fixation, the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to a form usable by plants.
Many soils already have naturally occurring Rhizobium, which makes finding a source of Rhizobium and applying it unnecessary. One way to determine whether Rhizobium inoculation has occurred is to look at the roots of an established plant. If there are nodules (small, rounded lumps containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria) on the roots, the bluebonnets have been inoculated by the bacteria. If you are not sure if Rhizobium is present and you can find a source, go ahead and add it. Rhizobium can be applied to the seeds before they are planted, or to the soil after germination has taken place. Applying the bacteria before the seeds are planted probably is the most efficient and easiest method. Lightly dampen the seeds so the Rhizobium powder will stick easily.
How Much To Plant
The Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation recommends a seeding rate of 10 to 12 pounds per acre. At that rate, an ounce (which contains between 850 and 1,000 seeds) will cover about 200 square feet.
This is approximately five seeds per square foot. Using that rate, maximum display probably would be reached the second or third year after planting. If cost is not a consideration, your area is small or you want a good display quickly, seed companies recommend using 8 to 10 seeds per square foot. At that rate an ounce will cover approximately 135 square feet, and half a pound covers 1,000 square feet.
An acre will require 20-30 pounds of seeds. (Keep in mind those seeding rates have been determined on a single species basis and should be modified if you are planting other species with bluebonnets.)
Choose a sunny, well-drained location with slightly alkaline soil for Lupinus texensis. South and west-facing slopes will encourage earlier spring growth and flowering. L. subcarnosus, which prefers the sandy soils found in areas of East Texas, is also available commercially in limited amounts and also requires a sunny, well-drained site.
How to Plant Bluebonnet Seeds
If your site is not weedy and you plan only to interseed bluebonnets into existing vegetation, the process is relatively easy. Mow the vegetation to 6-8 inches and rake up the thatch. Try to open up some bare areas to allow the seeds to make contact with the soil. Prepare weedy ground by using the techniques outlined in Soil Preparation in Gardening and Landscaping with Native Plants. For bare ground, plant seeds on a lightly tilled or slightly roughened soil surface for optimum seed-soil contact.
One rule applies to all wildflower planting, good seed-soil contact is essential. Contact with the soil helps retain moisture around the seeds, which is necessary for germination, and provides a substrate for seedling growth. Hand broadcasting is the simplest seeding method and works well. You may dilute the seeds by mixing them with sand to easily achieve even coverage. Press seeds firmly into the ground with your hands or walk over the area.
Maintaining Your Bluebonnet Patch
Water your bluebonnets, if possible, using light, well-spaced waterings. Although bluebonnets require some moisture to germinate and grow, they do not like saturated soil. If fall or winter rainfall is low, an occasional watering will help ensure success.
As a general rule, you do not need to fertilize. L. texensis because it is adapted to alkaline soils that can be low in nutrients, perhaps because of the presence of Rhizobium. Fertilizing is not recommended and may encourage leggy and weak plants with more leaves than flowers. However, if your seedlings do not appear to be growing vigorously, they may needRhizobium, or you may want to fertilize lightly in early spring.
Do not mow until the plants have formed mature seedpods. Bluebonnet seeds usually mature six to eight weeks after flowering. When mature, the pods turn yellow or brown and start to dry. By mowing after the seeds have matured, you will allow the plants to reseed for next year.
Weeder Content
Should you have any content to add to the Weeder, email your article or suggestion to pporter_scg@austin.rr.com. On normal weeks content should be received by end of day Wednesday.
Officer and Zone Coordinator Contacts - Sunshine Gardens
Officers
- President - Nick Sweeney nick.sweeney@hotmail.com
- Vice President - Marilyn Landberg marilynlandberg@utexas.edu
- Secretary - Polly Porter pporter_scg@austin.rr.com
- Treasurer - Caroline Limaye scgtreasurer1@gmail.com
- Director - Bill Cason wccason@gmail.com
- Director - Lori Dobbin loridobbin@gmail.com
- Director - Randy Thompson jartdaht@gmail.com
Email the board.
Zone Coordinators
- Zone 1, Martin Morales marmoral512@gmail.com
- Zone 2, Katy Davis katydavis@austin.rr.com
- Zone 3, Ludmila Voskov lvoskov@austin.rr.com
- Zone 4, Ila Falvey ila.falvey@gmail.com
- Zone 5, Mary Gifford mgifford@austin.rr.com
- Zone 6, Charlotte Jernigan charlotte@cybermesa.com
- Zone 7, Maria and Philip Wiley m.stroeva@gmail.com, philip9wiley@gmail.com
- Zone 8, Shannon Posern sposern@hotmail.com
- Zone 9, Kerry Howell casonhowell@gmail.com
- Zone 10, Christopher Schroder
christopher.s.schroder@gmail.com &
Karl Arcuri karl.w.arcuri@gmail.com
Other Personnel
- Weekly Weeder Newsletter - Polly Porter pporter_scg@austin.rr.com
- Plant Sale - Randy Thompson & Janet Adams jartdaht@gmailcom
- TSBVI Liaison & Volunteer Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmailcom
- Plot Assignment - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Compost Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com
- Education Committee - Shannon Posern shannonposern@gmail.com
- Carpentry & Repairs - Robert Jarry r.jarry@sbcglobal.net
- Water Leak Repairs - Steve Schulz sschulz784@aol.com
- Tools & Wheelbarrows - Bob Easter beaster1@austin.rr.com
- Kitchen Supplies - Anita Keese
anodekraft1@msn.com
(If supplies are needed for events, contact by email or at 512-773-2178) - Compost Tea - Jennifer Woertz jen@enjeneer.com
- Micah 6 - Dana Kuykendall kuykendall@austin.rr.com
- Micah 6 - Mary Gifford mgifford@austin.rr.com
- Website Coordinator - Sharon Rempert scgardenweb@gmail.com
- Spanish language contact - Andriana Prioleau gabp8dec65@hotmail.com
Record Service Hours Online - Green Binder
