Growing native plants from seed: Collection.Seed collection (for grasses, soft capsules and fruit).Most native grasses (and some other plants) can be grown simply from fresh seed, by collecting the seed when it is mature.How do you know when it is mature? Simple: for a grass, run your closed hand along the seed head (from the base to the top) with the seed head loosely held in your hand. If the seed is ready it should come loose and fall into your hand. This is particularly effective for collecting Microlaena seed. For some grasses and many shrubs and trees it is necessary to watch for the change of colour to indicate maturity (often from green to brown, purple or black), then collect the seed or fruit. Seed collection (for hard capsules).If the seed is in a hard nut, pod or capsule, you may have to watch for it to open and release the seed. If you think you might miss the opening, you can cut up an old pair of stockings and place a foot over the capsules to catch the seed (tie it loosely to the plant).If a change has occurred but the seed is still held, the whole capsule can be collected and kept in a paper bag in a dry and warm location, until the seed is released. In the case of Banksias which mostly release their seed after a bush fire, you can put the seed head onto a tray and into an oven set to a very low temperature. Check every 15 to 30 minutes to see if you have tricked the seed head into opening. If you have just finished cooking in the oven, you can turn it OFF and place the Banksia seed heads in there (on a tray) until the oven is cold. Seed storage.To store seed for a short period of time, it is best to put it into a clean paper bag and label it with the name of the plant, the date and name of the place from which the seed was collected. Keep the bag in a dry, shady and warm spot.For storage of seed for longer periods, dry the seed and keep it in a moisture-free sealed plastic container in the fridge. Label it with the name, date and place of collection. Back |