Nursery Update (Winter 2024)

The Thoughtful Planning of Seed Germination

Every sowing season brings something new—new observations, insights, and revelations. In fall, summer seed is sown, feathered lightly over germination mix with gentle and even swaths. I never count the chickens before the eggs hatch; make promises of life I cannot keep. At the end of the day, the decision is up to the seed. So, our nursery team asks, politely, in the right balance of temperature and water, for them to wake up. 

I learn a lot from seed germination, soaking in all the information I need to know. I observe how the cotyledons develop, how many unfurl over a certain timeline, how uniform they appear, and how quickly the true leaves emerge. I look at the roots, the percent germination, and the color of the young plants. We have sown seventy plus species and counting, all for our retail and restoration endeavors. Each of these species have their own code—an evolutionary lock and key. I learn the individual’s personality, their water, soil, sun requirements, all to give the seed exactly what it needs. 

Many nurseries do not dive this deeply into seed production— they try to mix in cuttings and other forms of propagation. But the unique goals of our production make this complicated and sacred process of seed germination at the forefront of our practices. In habitat restoration, we are responsible for establishing populations of plant families. This opens up genetic dynamics within each individual plant, the population as a whole, and how it relates to other populations around it. If collected properly, 95% of the entire genetic variation can be gathered from the seed of one healthy and large population. This information does not only hold everything the plant needs to know to survive (genetic code), but how to thrive in the microclimate its predecessors are from (genetic expression). From spring to fall, flower to seed, there is thoughtful planning. 

The planning is then relinquished to the seed, endosperm tucked beneath the thick seed coat. We wait for the spontaneous and joyful day, when a seed tray bursts with life. 

Sophie McLean, Native Plant Specialist