#NewZealand (#Aotearoa) - #NativePlants - an introduction to #SeedCollection, #propagation and on-farm nurseries
Excerpt: "Collecting seeds
A common method of sourcing seeds is called #EcoSourcing. Eco-sourcing seeds refers to collecting seeds from native plants that are already established in your area. This allows you to grow plants that have adapted to, and are suited to, your local #climatic conditions, and therefore your plants are more likely to survive.
Some considerations for eco-sourcing, as identified by the Department of Conservation, include:
- planting species that you know to be native to the local area
- collecting seed from as close to your restoration area as possible
- collecting seed from a similar ecosystem/environment to that to which you are restoring
- trying to collect your seeds from plants that are natively occurring rather than those that have been planted
While eco-sourcing is a great habit to get into, there is also nothing wrong with introducing new species into your restoration areas. Some considerations for this would include:
- is this species likely to be able to survive in this environment?
- is this species and its characteristics suitable? Is this the right plant for this particular planting site?
When it comes to collecting seeds from plants, late-Summer to Autumn is most commonly the time when seeds are ready for collection due to drying off/berries ripening etc. However, the timing of seeds being ready to collect is species dependent.
The Department of Conservation has created calendars and guides for seed collection for some common native #tree species, as well as #grasses, #sedges and #flaxes, which can be accessed by the links below."
#SolarPunkSunday #NativePlantsNewZealand #Gardening #GardeningInNewZealand #SouthernHemisphereGardening
