Native Seed Packets at 20th Annual Concord Ag Day
Information & Recommendations
The native seeds you have received were collected locally, mixed into a custom blend, and packaged by our own Manager of Land Stewardship, Alexi Dart-Padover. Your seed packet contains a diverse mix of 31 native plant species. Sow them in your yard to create a mini meadow and support local pollinators and wildlife!
Location: These plants are adapted to a range of conditions and some will do well in either moist or dry soils. But they all will do best in a sunny location. Keep in mind that some of these plants can grow 6+ feet tall at maturity. You can also start them in containers with potting soil and transplant them into the ground later.
Timing: The best time to plant native seed is in late fall or early spring. Most of these seeds need a few weeks of cold, moist weather to break their dormancy and begin to germinate around April. So it is best if they experience at least a month of winter (freeze/thaw, snow, rain). But you can plant these any time if you are patient. It sometimes takes years for seeds to germinate.
Sowing: These seeds will have the best chance of survival with minimal competition from other plants. Plant them into a patch of bare soil if possible – they will have a hard time germinating in thick, established grass. Scuff the soil surface to loosen it and allow for good soil-seed contact. Then spread the seed and lightly rake it in. The seed should be planted shallowly – no more than ¼” deep. Some of the tiny, dust-like seeds actually need light to germinate.
Maintenance: The seedlings will be very small and difficult to identify when they first germinate. And you will likely have other weeds popping up from pre-existing seeds in the soil. As the plants get bigger, try to identify them using apps like iNaturalist, Seek, or PictureThis. If they are weedy non-natives, pull them or cut them back to give the natives a chance to compete. Usually the weeds will grow much faster than the desirable natives. Growing native plants from seed takes patience!
