Plant Material - Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration - page 112

distinct subspecies to occur in environmentally unique areas (i.e., coastal windswept bluffs and
serpentine soil). Exercise caution when ordering these types from providers because they may not
be from your area.
Verify the season and year the seed was collected. If the stock is older, verify a retest on ger-
mination; if viability is reduced, this will alter your bulk quantities. Federal law requires retesting
the germination rate of each seed lot after a specified time. If possible, visit the seed supplier and
observe their handling and storing methods. If the supplier is unknown to you, it may be worth the
time and cost to have a second test conducted to ensure performance of the seed.
The advantages and disadvantages of using provider-supplied seed are as follows:
Advantages
• Extensive labor is not required to gather seeds.
• Seed is stored by the provider and delivered when you desire.
• Seed is cleaned to standards, yielding higher seed counts per weight.
• Providers typically provide germination and purity rates for each species or lot.
• Some providers can provide advice and make recommendations that can enhance your
seed mix (e.g., diversity, germination).
• Providers can supply large quantities of common species for the region.
Disadvantages
• Determining the origin of seed may not be easily done.
• Seed may have unacceptable weedy species also present.
• Seed storage might be an issue with some suppliers.
• Less common species typically are not available; generally, only the most common species
are stocked routinely.
For larger projects, notifying seed suppliers and growers well in advance can eliminate supply
problems for many species. However, suppliers are typically less willing to speculate on sales of
an uncommon or infrequently requested species. Many species have a limited shelf life, and a
supplier cannot afford to pay for the collection or grow out of seed that is never sold or that sub-
stantially loses its viability when stored for more than one season.
There are two options for obtaining uncommon seeds: (1) negotiate a contract for custom seed
collection or (2) establish within the scope of your project a program to collect seeds. The advan-
tages of custom seed collection include all of the advantages of using provider-supplied seed listed
earlier. Also, it is possible to get most, if not all, species in the design. The disadvantages of custom
seed collection include the following:
• Depending upon species, you may not be able to get the quantity desired.
• For more uncommon species, identification of subspecies and variant may not be correct.
• Typically, custom collection costs significantly more. Harder-to-find species will cost more.
• You must provide storage (a cool, dry environment).
• Not all species will have collectable viable seeds available at the same time of the year.