Collecting seeds of trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers and then raising them in a nursery before planting on urban sites can be a worthwhile activity.
The following factors need to be considered:
Permission
You must have permission from the landowner before you gather seed. Some species, as listed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, are protected and it is illegal even for the landowner to gather the seed.
Recipient site
What sort of plants would be appropriate for the site you have in mind? The end use should determine what is collected. Although growing plants from seed is an interesting activity in itself, you want to have a clear idea of the type of plant community you are hoping to create when you start the project. To diversify a lawn for example, or create a woodland flora in a newly established wood, appropriate species must be chosen.
Native or naturalised plants
To attempt recreation of a semi-natural plant community, only native species should be chosen. If you are able to collect from a local site of the type you want to recreate, there is a good chance of the species being of local origin. native plants show subtle differences within the same species, according to the area of the country in which they originate. This is called their ‘provenance’. Commercial supplies of seed may originate from a different area, or another country. By gathering and propagating local seed, you are helping to maintain the natural variety of native types.
For creating or diversifying other types of sites, naturalised or introduced plants may be appropriate. Urban ‘wastelands’ and other unmanaged sites show a colourful and interesting array of species, many of which are not native. Many of these species however, have good dispersal mechanisms; otherwise they would not be there! Collection and propagation of seed may be unnecessary, as the plants are able to disperse efficiently without any help. The character and interest of these sites is determined by the accidental and unexpected nature of their plant community.
Propagation
Successful germination of seeds and growing on of plants requires suitable resources. These include trays, pots, compost, propagator or greenhouse for germination and early growth, and space for standing pots for growing on. Seedlings require daily care, and young plants frequent care during the growing season.
For much TCV work, the educational value of seed collecting, sowing, planting out and caring for the plants is the most important factor. The amounts gathered and the sites affected are not great, and the ecological effects are going to be small, compared with the effects of farming, parks and roadside verge management. The most important factors are to choose species which have a high germination rate, and to ensure there is somewhere to grow the seeds on and to plant out.
‘Seeds of Time and Place’ is a major initiative in northern Ireland to conserve and expand northern Ireland’s tree heritage, concentrating on trees of local importance. Conservation Volunteers northern Ireland, funded by the Esso Living Tree Campaign, are helping to create opportunities for individuals, organisations and communities to get directly involved in conserving and growing local trees. Included in the campaign are:
- Trees of local ecological importance. These native trees are an important part of northern Ireland’s natural resources, and conserving them will help sustain biodiversity in Northern Ireland.
- Trees of local cultural importance. These trees are not necessarily of local ecological importance, but they contribute to a strong and distinctive sense of place.
The campaign is aimed at helping communities to set up their own tree nurseries, using locally collected seed, to produce young trees for planting in the local area. A publication Our Trees, CVNI (1997) has been produced.
Community gardens and school grounds
On these sites, native species or seeds of local provenance may not be a significant factor. Species of cultural importance, which are those familiar to the community in which they are to be grown, should be a consideration, together with the practical aspects of species suitable for the site, the local climate, and for the use they are likely to receive.
Parks, wildflowers meadows, urban forests
This would include native and long-introduced species (see page 32). Most species could be collected from plants already growing in the area, but which need encouragement to spread. Tree and shrub species can be gathered, sown and grown on for later planting out. For flowers and grasses, an alternative is to collect the seed, then grow some as stock plants in a nursery, from which you can then gather the seed for direct seeding on a new site or for propagation in pots. nursery grown stock, grown in optimum conditions with plenty of space, can produce far more seed than plants in the wild. You should aim to grow a selection of stock plants of different size, vigour and colour to maintain the variety of the ‘original’ stock.
Sites of ecological value
These may include small patches of semi-natural woodland, grassland or heath which have been by-passed by urban development, agriculture or gardening. Gathering and dispersal of seed from these sites, and planting on them, should be done only after consultation with nature conservation agencies.
See also here, and Trees and Aftercare – Propagation for information on tree nurseries.
