Propagating Native Plants From Seed in the Mountain West

Ensure success through a cycle of cold treatment and breaking dormancy

When I call up about growing plants from seed , I unremarkably think about my vegetable garden . I direct - sow many eccentric of these seeds , such as bean , carrot , and squash . I follow the planting directions on the packet boat ( which may once in a while admit soaking seeds in water for a few hours ) , and , voila , an edible garden appear shortly thereafter .

While that proficiency will work for some other case of plants , propagating native plant from seed is n’t always quite that well-heeled .

Seed sources

Many of our local glasshouse and garden centers sell aboriginal seeds , sometimes in wild flower bundle or in single species packets . Be sure to check out the wild flower parcel to verify you are only get Mountain West natives ; sometimes these packet control other smorgasbord . For many of these packets , you will be able to straight sow the seeds into your garden following the directions provided .

You may also choose tocollect your own seed . To do this , start by making sure the seminal fluid is ripe ( typically , flower have died back by this time ) . edit out the dry out blossom or seed heads , and store them in paper bags until you are quick to clean them , ensure to score each bag clearly with the case of flower that ’s in it . Store these travelling bag in a cool , dry place until you ’re ready to clean or fix the seeds for planting .

Breaking dormancy

Native plant in the Mountain West have adapted to our climate with its cold , white winters , and many have built - in seeded player dormancies to keep them from sprouting at the incorrect meter , which is easy to do in our variable clime . This is specially lawful for perennial and woody plants . as luck would have it , there are a couple of techniques that can be used at nursing home to “ wake up ” our native plant seeds .

Scarification . This method is for role on source with very toilsome coat that forbid moisture from entering . It need physically abrading the semen , either with sandpaper or by nick it with a knife ( this is better for big seeds ) . Lupines ( Lupinusspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) and imperial poppy mallow ( Callirhoe involucrata , Zones 4–8 ) are two unwashed plants that require this method . Other scarification methods include soaking the ejaculate overnight in water or even soaking it in very tender water .

Stratification . This proficiency mimics the effect of our winters and requires both cold and moisture . There are a dyad of dissimilar ways to do this . The first is to put some potting mix or sand in a plastic udder and add together a niggling water and intermediate , just until the commixture is moist . add together the seeded player and conflate again . Refrigerate for four to eight workweek ( each variety is dissimilar , but this will lick for most ) .

Another way to implement stratification is to straight sow seed into containers ( a flat works well for multiple plants ) and urine . lay the containers outside on the north side of the house or fencing so that they stick shaded and colder . Hopefully , they will be covered with snow for most of the time of year . This will allow nature to do the work of chilling the seeds , and the plants should germinate as the atmospheric condition warms .

coneflower ( Echinaceaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , giant willowherb ( Chamerion angustifoliumsyn . Epilobium angusitfolium , Zones 2–7 ) , and Rocky Mountain bee flora ( Cleome serrulatavar.angusta , one-year ) all call for to be stratified for successful sprouting .

Planting

How and when to found seeded player is dependent upon the variety , the space you want to plant them in , and the clip of year you require to implant them .

Direct - sowing into the soil can occur in spring or fall . Annuals do well plant in spring . You may desire to seed longer - lived perennials in autumn , as most postulate stale and moisture to burgeon forth . unmediated - sowing is most effective for large planting area .

inseminate into containers gives you more control over the number of plant and is good with larger plants . It also serve you transport seedling to plant in the garden .

Learn more

There are some excellent resources for set off Mountain West aboriginal industrial plant from come . claver your state’snative plant society website , orWestern Native Seed .

If you ’d wish to teach more about how nurseries raise aboriginal plants , gibe outRaising Native Plants in Nurseries : Basic Conceptsby the USDA ’s Rocky Mountain Research Station .

For some great Mountain West aboriginal plant campaigner to start from seed , say on here :

And for even more information on growing all kind of different industrial plant from semen , see ourAll About protrude Seedscollection .

— Michelle Provaznik is executive theater director of the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins , Colorado .

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Collecting seeds

Collect seeds from nature to perpetuate native species and get new plants for free.Photo: Jason Jorgensen

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Scotts clematis seeds

These Scott’s clematis (Clematis scottii, Zones 4–7) seeds have been collected in fall and need to be cleaned before planting.Photo: Michelle Provaznik

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seeds ready for stratification