Wildflower Seed Treatments

Wildflower Growers Manual

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Wildflower Seed Treatments

Heading : picking

In the wild wild wildest places, we collect seeds from a diversity of plants of the same species. Careful not to over pick any one plant, group or ecosystem. It’s a lovely job when the sun shines.

when pick, we avoid over heating, dampness and let off the insects, then home to our seed house and drying tunnels, once dried processed (seed cleaning) we store. then we blend and sell.

Store your own wild flower seed once totally dry, Turn the seed when drying, not not because its a lovely feeling connecting us directly to nature, it’s to allow air to all side of the seeds so they dry evenly and form a solid coat all around

Wildflower Seed Treatments at DBN,
Heading : Seed treatments and tips, Treating seeds

Our Seed treatment for wildflower seeds, is varied, first only we harvest when ripe, then dry quick and turn often, remove chaff and dry again before storage or sale.
As we sell fresh harvested seed in Autumn, as Autumn sowing can be the best for many of our wildflower species.

TIP: Green near ripe seeds must be sown fresh within days, they rarely store for long. ‘bar exceptions of course’. Speaking of which, we hold an annual indoor seed house open day to let you get your hands on what we got. These Seed House days explore seed and treatments such as :

Seed Dormancy :

Seeds are alive, and free unlike cultivated species, many wild plant seeds are free to germinate when the conditions are best, so they sleep, dormant, resting until sunlight, cold, wet or fire, the elements touch them or they touch the earth an element we call soil.

Deep Dormancy can be induced by long term cold storage, something we do here at DBN, to improve the germination of many species that we sell, all in teasel family, scabious & knapweeds

Cornockle and a few other species only require one to three weeks cold treatment before autumn germination.

FAQ ; how much seed should germinate or grow
Now here’s a thing, the seed triggers, don’t all trigger together, even if conditions are perfect, many do, but in flushes, which lasts days, weeks and then come over the years, all at a lesser percent each time than before.

See Germination Grower Manual | Scarification | Cold Treatment or Stratification | Germination

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Scarification

Scarification:

Using sandpaper: Place the seeds between two pieces of sandpaper. Rub the sandpaper together or press down and drag the seeds across the paper until a small scratch or a different color is visible on the seed coat.
Using a file or abrasive slab: For larger seeds, rub them on a nail file or a triangular file.
Using a knife or razor blade: For seeds that are easier to handle, you can carefully make a small scratch on the side with a sharp knife or razor blade, being careful not to cut into the inner part of the seed.
Indicating readiness: The seed is ready to be sown when you have worn away enough of the outer coating to see a different color underneath.
Use an enlarged ‘phone’ photo or magnifier to see before you rub, get to know the surface. Carefully place a small amount of seeds between two sheets of sandpaper, abrasive slab, use a file, rub very gently between two flat rocks or over something concrete. Rub the until the first small scratch appears, then stop. There may even be a change of colour or loss of outer coat.

Try small amounts of larger sized seeds, and larger amounts of smaller sized seeds.
Occasionally on the very largest seeds make a small scratch up one side with a sharp knife or razor blade.  Don’t cut into the inner seed..

The seed can to be sown when you have worn away enough of the outer coat ie. a different color underneath.

Soak the seeds in water for a few minutes assisting germination. Beware tiny seeds can drown if left for hours.
If you have a large quantity of seeds, mechanical treatment methods are available in Ireland, such as seed cleaning threshing machines, freezers for storage and seed treatments.

Cold Treatment or Stratification

Cold Treatment or Stratification :

To break ‘dormancy’ place seeds in a cold, vermin proof and moist environment. mimicking winter conditions helps.

Materials : Any clean, weed free moist medium such as sterile sand, vermiculite, or paper towels. Freezer proof Bags or suitable storage containers & labels, inside storage and outside.

Make list elsewhere for future reference. If you have many different lots, label then photo’ the finished containers , if inclined to sow same species at different times, separate before storage.

To store : Dampen medium material, Place the seeds on/in medium, place in a bag or container. label also inside for future reference.

Refrigerate: Put the container in the refrigerator. Seeds vary, lots need between 10 days up to 5 months of cold, before you take them out and defrost or as the fridge does, warm up.

 

Check & Sow - Stored Dormant Seeds

Check : If you saved your own dormant seeds, we advise that now and again, you should check your stored seeds for germination, look for for signs of life.

Seed treatments such as defrosting, re freezing or chilling has little short term effect, so don’t be afraid to check. Remember not all seeds like damp, chilling some hate freezing. if there are signs of life, green shoots of recovery, time to sow them. Rubbed seed should be sown fresh

Small collections are best germinated in seed beds, trays, pots or where you will keep an eye on them to transplant early. If sown direct, ensure they contact soil.

Sow : Sprouts are the main signs of germination, either roots or first leaf, take the seeds out of the cold, sit to warm up, plant them in pots, you can talk to them as well as we know our breath helps and keep them in a frost-free spot until it’s time to move them outside, making sure they don’t dry out or scorch in summer either.