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Collect Your Own Shrub and Tree Seeds

© Geoffrey Ian Miller

Discover the joys of collecting your own nature tree and shrub seeds. Start by buying a good tree and shrub identification manual. Next, locate the trees and shrubs that you want to collect seed from. Travel some distance to a locate superior species.

Note various stages of seed maturity of species you encounter. Keep a journal of seed maturity dates every year. Though times may vary depending on the year, species seed maturity will be in a certain sequence.

Make a note in your journal about special trees whose seeds have not yet matured. Come back when the seed is mature. Collect certain seeds within days or weeks of their maturity. Other seeds withstand longer periods on the plant enabling collection over that time. Over years you will get to know the good seed plants and so show up at the right time.

In a woodland, collect seed from trees in a prime habitat for the species. Find the superior stands for the species you require. Avoid collecting seed from poorly grown or diseased species.

You may spread insects and diseases with seeds or other plant materials. Obtain clean seed. Avoid collecting seed from pest or disease infected species.

Though young and old years may provide a high level of seed, vigorous middle-aged trees are best. Collect seed from healthy, vigorous shrubs of reasonably good form and average or better growth. Seed grown from stunted species will be more susceptible to pest and disease. Consider collecting seed from abundant rather than light producers.

Importantly, make sure you collect mature seed. Seed matures first at lower elevations and north (south in the northern hemisphere) and west slopes, later at higher elevations and east and south or north slopes. Maturity may hasten on hilltops over nearby valleys, due to location of frosts.

Mostly, determine maturity by a visible indicator such as seed colour, fruit firmness, drying of cone scales. Consider the following general guidelines: · Rodents and birds know when seed is mature. · Determine conifer seed maturity by cutting the seeds. As the seed matures, the seed coat changes colour and the kernel looses its soft, milky characteristics and becomes firm. · Pulpy fruits change colour and are soft when mature. · A common indicator for many species is the falling of nuts or release of seed. Heavy fruit such as walnut, oak, hickory, beech, chestnut, ie., the first to fall are mostly insect riddled or inferior.

Seed will vary within a single batch. Usually the darkest, fullest, largest seeds are the highest quality. Those with wrinkled or cracked seedcoats are lower quality. The heaviest seeds are the best.

The copyright of the article Collect Your Own Shrub and Tree Seeds in Organic Gardens is owned by Geoffrey Ian Miller. Permission to republish Collect Your Own Shrub and Tree Seeds in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.