15 Thai Double Blue Butterfly Pea Seeds, Double Butterfly Pea, Clitoria ternatea seeds, Seed The Stars, Florida Seeds Blue Tea edible flower

Blooms double-layered, bright-blue, edible flowers! A vining, soil-building, drought-tolerant, perennial pea. Brew dried flowers for an antioxidant-rich, blue tea. Flowers turn tea from BLUE to PURPLE if steeped with acidic lemon juice. Germinate seeds by scarifying: Lightly scrape the seed coat on sand paper and soak overnight in a glass of water before shallowly directly sowing. Open-pollinated seeds save true to type. Stunning, edible blue flowers famously attract butterflies, birds, and bees. A native to South East Asia, this perennial pea not only tolerates drought humidity, it improves poor soil by dynamically accumulating soil nutrients. Flowers are edible and can be used to bring color to a salad, create a brightly colored Kombucha/Cocktail, and to naturally dye rice dishes blue. Leaves and pea pods are also edible when young and tender. Flowers are full of antioxidants and commonly used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, the Butterfly Pea will be a star in any home garden!Butterfly Pea is a vigorous climbing vine, so we recommend growing on a trellis, fence or pole. Vines can grow up to 15 feet or trimmed to keep at desired size. Can be cold sensitive and cold weather can cause winter die back. SEED SPECIFICATIONS:Thai Double BLUE BUTTERFLY PEAName: Clitoria ternateaZone: 7-12Weight/Amount: 15 countGermination temperature: 75 FGermination days:14-21 daysDays to Maturity: 65- 80 DaysSun Preference: Full Sun/ Part ShadeSow Depth: ¼ inchSpacing: 9 inchSeed the Stars is an urban gardening company focused on raising naturally grown and adapted seeds. Plants are raised using natural methods and organic practices. Our seeds are non GMO and open pollinated. To prepare for seeding success , we recommend scarification and soaking your seeds overnight up to 24 hours to hydrate and begin the germination process.Scarification description = Some seeds require scratching or nicking the hard seed coat to allow moisture to enter the seed to begin germination. This mimics natures weathering or the gnawing of rodents. Medium to larger seeds can be nicked with a knife, filed or rubbed with sandpaper. Rub smaller seeds between sandpaper or emery paper. Abrade only the outer coating, embryos should not be cracked or damaged to remain viable. -https://www.permaculturenews.org/2012/08/04/how-to-germinate-your-seeds/ GROWING INSTRUCTIONS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Thank you for supporting our seed shop! To ensure germination success and get the best start with your seeds follow the recommended germination process and use the suggested methods. Our high germination rates can only be achieved using the methods shared below. Seed The Stars can not take responsibility for germination issues using other methods and materials.*Store seeds in a cool dark place and use them within one year of purchase to maintain viability and high germination rates. IMPORTANT PRE GERMINATION NOTES: *Some seeds require soaking or scarification prior to germination. Soaking overnight or up to 24 hours helps to jump start the germination process for seeds with a hard seed coat while scarification involves gently scratching the seed coat to allow water to penetrate and hydrate the embryo.* Some seeds like lettuce and certain flowers require light for germination. Please check the item listing for this information. *Certain beans and peas have the ability to form a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria to form root nodules that “fix” atmospheric nitrogen making it a great addition for your soil ecosystem. Seeds can be treated with a soil inoculant that contains the Rhizobium bacteria prior to planting to ensure that the beneficial bacteria is present. These inoculants can be purchased online or at some garden stores. WHEN TO GROW: - To figure out the best time to start your seeds first locate the days to maturity located in the item description or photo with Seed specifications in our Shop.- Research your average first frost date(in the fall) and subtract the amount of days the seeds take to grow to maturity that you found listed on the packet. If you still have adequate time before that first frost date and provide the ideal growing conditions you will likely have a chance at a successful harvest this season.- To get a head start on your garden you can start seeds indoors 6- 8 weeks before your last frost date if providing the correct temperature, light, and properly sized containers. STEPS TO GERMINATION:1. Check the seed packet and click “Read More” under the ETSY item listing for specific instructions and seed specifications.2. Choose a proper sized container for your seeds. Most seeds should be started in containers such as seeding flats and pots up to 4- 6 inches to better control early growing conditions. 3. Fill containers with consistently moist (not soaked), well draining, and sterile soilless seed starting media. Heavy and poor draining soils can inhibit germination and reusing old soil can transfer organisms or plant diseases that can harm a seedling. We DO NOT recommend peat pods/discs or pots since they tend to wick moisture away from the media. 4. Create a small depression in your media and sow a few seeds at the depth recommended on the seed packet. A good guideline is that most seeds should be sown as deep as the seed is wide. 5. Lightly cover the seeds with media and water them in, make a note for the day of seeding. *Keep the media consistently moist with a gentle spray or bottom-water containers to keep seeds at the same depth that it was sown. Place the pot/flat in an area that can maintain a temperature range close to the optimal germination temperature on the seed packet. Be careful not to overwater which can cause fungal growth, media compaction, and lead to rot. *Germination time will vary depending on the environmental temperature. Starting seeds on a germination mat, or an environment indoors where temperature can be better maintained will speed up the germination process. *Once germination occurs, place your container in a protected area with adequate filtered sunlight and thin each pot/cell to have only one seedling per hole. If you need to continue to grow your seedlings indoors due to outside temperatures being too cold and variable, we highly recommend using grow lights directly above seedlings to prevent leggy plants. TRANSPLANTING/POTTING UP:When seedlings have a second set of “true leaves” and have developed a root ball that stays intact when gently removing it from the container they are ready to be gently potted up or transplanted.“Harden off” the young plants by gradually extending their time in sunlight and the natural elements that they will experience when planted out, therefore they are less likely to go into shock. Once they have acclimated, transplant them out to the garden or a new container and water deeply for the first three days. If potting up to a larger container, use a mix of potting soil, compost, and something like perlite to create space and good drainage. Plant the seedling at soil level in the new container and water well. When transplanting into the garden you can add a little compost in the planting hole when transplanting, mixing in with the soil in your garden bed. Plant at soil level in the garden, unless planting tomatoes which can be buried deeply. Top mulch around your plants, keeping compost away from the stem in pots or in the garden with a 1 to 2 inch layer of compost and reapply throughout the growing season. Water deeply for the first 3 days and then when the plant is established, allow the soil to dry out in between watering - watering the soil rather than the leaves in the mornings.FERTILIZER AMMENDMENTS: We fertilize and maintain our plants using organic methods: fish fertilizer, worm castings, compost, Kelp, and OMRI list organic granular fertilizer made of poultry manure. SEED SAVING:Some plants cross easily while others self pollinate before there is a chance of crossing so if you are interested in saving seeds, we recommend you do a quick search on each species. If saving seed for the next growing season and you would like your next season plants to grow true to type make sure that you are only growing one variety of the same species or isolate your plants through distance/timing/netting to control cross pollination.Seeds are ready to harvest for seed when beans and peas are mature, brown, brittle, and lightweight. Harvest each pod or cut off branches laden with pods to prune back branches while encouraging leafy new growth.HARVEST:Pluck off flowers to dry or use fresh. To create blue Butterfly Pea Tea use around 10 flowers (fresh or dried ) for a cup of warm water. Steep and mix your tea solution for around 10 minutes, and strain out the flowers. Add a lemon slice or lemon juice to turn the color a beautiful purple color!The Butterfly Pea tea is mostly flavorless, so add some flavor with herbs such as lemongrass or mint, or our personal favorites some Roselle Cranberry Hibiscus!Flowers can be added to brighten up salads or top dishes and leaves and pea pods are edible when young and tender.15 Thai Double Blue Butterfly Pea Seeds, Double Butterfly Pea, Clitoria ternatea seeds, Seed The Stars, Florida Seeds Blue Tea edible flower