Send your questions to info@landlife.org.uk

What seeds should we collect?
Collect only common and frequently occurring seed so that issues of depletion are not significant and provenance are not an issue.

What species fall into this category will vary from location to location and local knowledge will be invaluable in assessing levels of abundance.
A mixed collection of seeds from an established woodland will help in
the replication of the local type of woodland ground flora.
These seeds may be: Woodland Core Species such as,

• Dog's Mercury - Mercurialis perennis
• Bluebell - Hyacinthoides non-scripta
• Herb Robert - Geranium robertianum
• Wood Avens - Geum urbanum
• Hedge bedstraw - Galium mollugo
• Hedge mustard - Allaria petiolata
• Lords and Ladies - Arum maculatum
• Foxgloves - Digitalis purpurea
• Hairy St John's wort - Hypericum hirsutum

Why and how you would grow plants from seed in modules?

Why - seeds are in short supply
-There is problems with predation
- there are fertile soils with a large seed bank of grasses and weeds which have been difficult to control by other means.
- if people would like to have a more hands on involvement with the process

How - buy some modular trays/pots or even use card board tubes for a biodegradable option.
- fill the containers with organic compost or make your own using the following mix, - 3 buckets of cocopeat or coir 1 bucket of course lime free sand 1/2 a bucket of worm casts or soil from mole hills or other high quality weed free soil and 80 grams of calcified sea weed or granulated dolomite lime.

Please note the better the compost the better the plants.
- Sprinkle the seeds onto the surface of the containers and then cover with the compost, water and put in sheltered frost free location a cold frame use of horticultural fleece is good way of reducing the risk of frost damage.
- Keep moist but not wet and free from pest damage
- When the seedlings appear they can be thinned if they are too dense it is better to wait until the seedlings are of sufficient size to be able to be handled by the leaves thereby not risking damage to the stem.
- The seedlings that have been removed maybe able to grow if planted in the other small containers.
- If the seedlings have grown very densely then all except the strongest can be nipped out.
- If you have used very small modules to get the seed established then once they have reached the point when the roots are showing through the compost they should be transplanted into bigger pots or if the site where you want to plant is cultivated and well protected and well prepared ground that is free from weeds then the "plugs" (the modules) can be planted directly into the ground.
- If you sow in autumn then germination will usually take place in spring ready for potting on or planting out in early Summer - or if the seeding took place in Spring then the seedlings should appear within 6-8 weeks and ready for handling and planting on in a further 4-8 weeks.
- It is crucial that the young plants are planted out into well prepared ground that is free draining and free from compaction and weeds.

How do we collect seed?
The seed should be collected carefully from selected sites, according to protocol recommended in the Landlife technical guidelines, with secured permission, and avoiding trampling etc. of the existing
ground flora.

The best way to collect seed is for each person to have a fairly wide brimmed bucket, the ripe seed heads then gently bent into the bucket and bashed against the bucket sides. The ripe seeds then fall into the bucket, and are fairly clean, there will be not much chaff or leaf litter. The contents can then be periodically transferred into a sack, to keep the collection safe from tipping out or being dropped.
After collection the seed should be laid out as quickly as possible, on dry sheets of paper, in a sunny or dry spot, perhaps by a radiator, and left for several days, turning periodically to make sure the drying process is even throughout the sample.

How do we store the seed?
Once dried the seed should be stored in a cool dry spot. Ideal temperature is 4C. Which is the cool compartment of a domestic fridge. Variation in temperature i.e. on top of a window ledge or in an office will deteriorate the viability of the seed over time.

Where is the best place to plant seed and how?
The best locations are established woodland sites with some established canopy, but which have suitable ground conditions to give the best chance of success.

What preparation will the ground need prior to the seeds being sown?
The seeds will need to be sown in bare soil. So the location may need some herbicide treatment, or the existing turf may be removed by mechanical means. The seed then needs to be carefully sown and raked/rolled into the soil to ensure this important resource is not wasted.