Authentic Old West Tumbleweed Seeds from Arizona
Tombstone and the OK Coral.

Overview and Growing Instructions :

As it rolls down through a Ghost town, Tumbleweed plants do what they do best, disperse seeds. Seeds are unusual in that they lack any protective coat or stored food reserves. Instead, each seed is a coiled, embryonic plant wrapped in a thin membrane. To survive winter without a warm coat, the plant does not germinate until warm weather arrives.

When moisture falls, the seed is ready to uncoil and germinate. All that is required are temperatures between 28 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. It then quickly sends up two needle-like leaves and begins to shoot skyward. By autumn thetumbleweed has reached maximum size, flowered and begun to dry out. A specialized layer of cells in the stem facilitates the easy break between plant and root, and the journey begins anew.

Growing Instructions:
Insure you plant seeds in a location with full light.

Use a well draining potting soil.

Cover with 1/4 " of potting soil and moisten.

That's It !

Reproduction : Tumbleweed is a highly effective reproducer.
After seeds mature in late fall the plant stem separates from the root , the plant is then blown by wind. Seeds, held in the leaf axils, fall to the ground as the plant tumbles. Further dispersal is accomplished when wind scatters the winged seeds. The seed wings may aid in seed germination by absorbing soil moisture.

In spring, Tumble Weed seeds will germinate at virtually any conceivable seedbed temperature, including alternating day/night temperatures of 122/29 degrees Fahrenheit (50/-2 deg C) . The spirally-coiled embryo unwinds and pushes the root into the soil. Embryos do not survive if they germinate on compacted soil, or at a soil depth of greater then 5 inches (13 cm) . Tumbleweed seedlings are poor competitors, and do not establish well in crowded communities .

Soil : Tumbleweeds grow in disturbed or unoccupied sites at elevations from below sea level (in Death Valley, California) to 8,550 feet (2,606 m). It grows in any type of well-drained, un-compacted soil with a sunny exposure . It is most frequent, however, in alkaline or saline soils due to reduced competition. Tumbleweeds cannot tolerate saturated soil for extended periods of time. Tumbleweeds are a shade-intolerant colonizer. It colonizes barren desert areas that cannot support other flora , and invades many different disturbed plant communities.

SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
The following is typical seasonal development for tumbleweeds.
Germination: late April - August
Flowers: June - August
Seeds mature: August - November
Plant dies: first fall frost
Seeds disseminate: late fall.

So as you can see, Tumble Weeds are very easy to grow and soon you will have REAL TUMBLEWEEDS from the old west.

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