Question: When should I plant my bluebonnet seeds? Will transplants that I see in the nurseries work? When should they be set out?

Answer: Bluebonnets have extremely hard seed coats, which means that native bluebonnet seeds will germinate over a period of many years. If you want really good germination for a specific planting area, and if you’re going to be able to water them as they sprout, plant acid-scarified seed. These have been bathed in a special acid solution to break through their seed coats. They germinate quickly and uniformly. As for the transplants, they’re a good way of getting a few plants started, perhaps to act as seed sources for subsequent years. However, for large-scale plantings, they’re not nearly as practical as the seed.