Germination Research
Background
One of the challenges we face with native plants is learning how to germinate the new species we collect. Some species germinate abundantly under all conditions; in other cases, we try a range of trials and none achieve any germination. To add further challenges, documented germination methods for some species are unavailable or inaccurate.
About Germination Trials
Germination trials assess seed germination under controlled conditions. The seeds are monitored and germination is measured over time, and assessed as to how well or poorly that species germinated under those conditions.
These trials usually last for a few weeks, but can vary on a species to species basis. Some seeds slowly germinate over time, others will germinate rapidly. We only end the trials once all seeds are germinated, or there has been a week or two where no seeds have germinated.
Our Trials
The seeds of each new species we collect undergo various tests. This August, we are running germination trials for over thirty species. We use our findings to germinate our own plants for our seed production beds and to share with home gardeners and restoration professionals who use our seeds to grow their own plants.
