TEXAS NEIGHBORS | FALL 2021 TEXANS, IT’S TIME TO PLANT YOUR By Julie Tomascik Editor There’s no prettier place than Texas in the spring when the country is ablaze with wildflow -ers and crops are growing in the fields. Colors of every hue. Blankets of blooming flowers. A brilliant blue sky as the backdrop. But that beauty gets its start now—in the fall season. Planting seeds in the fall gives your wildflowers time to germi -nate and develop a good root sys-tem, according to Joseph John-son, program manager for The Gardens at Texas A&M University. Prepare the soil First, you need to select a site and prepare your soil—just like a farmer. Choose a site that offers plenty of sun. Then, remove any debris or growth from the area. Your seeds will have a higher germination rate in a site that doesn’t have as many competing plants shad-ing them out and taking nutrients and water that they need. Soil that is loosened makes root growth easier for plants. Scatter the seeds Be sure soil to seed contact is established by tilling and tamping the seeds into the soil. Then water the area lightly. That helps settle the seeds into the soil. Seed population is important. The thicker you spread the seeds, the thicker your flowers will likely be. Reference the back of the seed packet for instructions on your selected seed mix. While you’re waiting for the blooms… The seeds will need a little water and care this fall. They’ll go dor -mant in the winter, but emerge and bloom in early spring—de-pending on Mother Nature, of course. Want to grow bluebonnets? Be sure to plant them in an area with good drainage and full sun. Don’t water them too much. And don’t fertilize. A little TLC goes a long way for our state’s flower. Click here to get more infor-mation on planting wildflowers from Texas A&M AgriLife Exten -sion. WWW.TEXASFARMBUREAU.ORG