I’ve gotten a lot of querries about when to mow bluebonnets. Well, if you live in Washington County, Texas, the time is now. If you live somewhere other than Brenham, you can ldetermine when to mow them by looking at the seed pods of your bluebonnets. If most of the pods have opened and curled up, it is time to mow. Here are a couple of not so great pictures to illustrate what I am talking about:
Here is what a seed pod looks like before it shatters. Notice it is still green and the pod is closed.
In the following picture, note how the pod is opened and the sides have curled up. This curling of the pod helps to disperse the seeds. Sorry for the poor focus. Look closely and you can see the empty pod.
I’m in Harris County – always love reading gardening blogs – especially ones within our area. Until recently they were hard to come by but in the last week or two I’ve found 4! I appreciate all gardening info as we’ve recently ripped out a large portion of grass in the backyard!!
Thanks Jeanette. I hope you find some useful info. If you ever have questions or a topic you would like to see covered in more depth feel free to drop me a line.
I have a 70′ + pine tree in my front yard. It provides beautiful shade on the west side, yet I am concerned it’s roots may mess with my house foundation. It is about 25′ from the house. Should I remove it? I would hate to loose it, but if a storm came I may be sleeping with it.
All tree roots can damage a slab. However pine tree roots are not at the top the list of slab busters. Falling is another issue. Pine trees are fairly susceptible to wind damage. Even healthy trees can blow over in high winds. I am not recomending removing the tree. However, if you have concerns i would recommend you hire and arborist to examine the tree and make sure it is healthy.
thank you for the information. Last October I seeded blue bonnets along the side of the road at my home at Canyon Lake, Texas and was not when to cut back and get new seedlings next year. Thank you for the info.