Save 12% by purchasing these 3 items as kit + FREE SHIPPING! MAKES A GREAT GIFT!
Included in the Harvest Helper Kit:
The Seed Savers Apron : A hands-free must when collecting seed from your garden or prairie. This unique seed apron is hand-made in Wisconsin and features rounded and double-stitched seams for strength and easy cleaning. A rigid wire, that is hand-welded in Wisconsin, makes the wide-mouth opening, and a thick waist belt adjusts for comfort. The tough vinyl based fabric is waterproof and rinses out easily. Despite being so durable, it is very light at just 12 oz. It is 22” long, 15” tall, and the widest part of the wire opening is 11”.
The Seed Saver's Apron was born from the gap we found in products on the market; there are cotton and nylon seed harvesting/collection bags, but nothing practical and lasting for the seed saver to take while collecting in gardens, fields, or woods. We have 30+ years' experience harvesting large amounts of seed, by hand, in all environments. We know the hobbyist needs a durable, hands-free, wide-mouth bag, that doesn't cause neck or shoulder strain, and is easy to clean at the end of the day.
Seed Harvesting Hook (small) : This small seed harvesting hook, or sickle, has been the first choice for harvesting, weeding, and edging for our Garden Crew for years. It has light serrations on a 4.3-inch stainless steel blade and a solid, non-slip plastic handle (5.75-inch), orange so as to prevent loss in the garden. It weighs only 2.9 oz, but is strong and will last for many seasons. The hooked blade provides powerful pulling cuts and the light serrations easily cut through stems, stalks and branches. This is also a great harvest tool for a variety of berries, vegetables and salad greens. The plastic handle and stainless steel blade meet the strict requirements placed on agriculture and food processing operations concerned with chemical and disease prevention. *To prevent cuts, gloves should be worn when using this tool! You may also want to bend the sharp tip of this hook like we sometimes do, depending on the job.
The Prairie in Seed - Identifying Seed-Bearing Prairie Plants in the Upper Midwest : By Dave Williams, program manager for the Prairie Institute at the Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa. Each of the 73 prairie species outlined in this book include photographs and descriptions of the plants in bloom and in seed, explains where the seeds are located, when ripening begins, when and how to harvest, along with tips on seed cleaning and storage. Reads like a field guide, with plants organized by the morphology of the seed head. This is a great book for people who are interested in collecting seed for prairie restorations and reconstructions. 118 pages.
Seed
Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Before you get started, one of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts, or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before seed will grow.
Each species is different, so be sure to check the GERMINATION CODE listed on the website, in the catalog, or on your seed packet. Then, follow the GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS prior to planting. Some species don't need any pre-treatment to germinate, but some species have dormancy mechanisms that must be broken before the seed will germinate. Some dormancy can be broken in a few minutes, but some species take months or even years.
Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist STRATIFICATION. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.
To learn more, please visit: How to Germinate Native Seeds
Dormant Bare Root Plants
We dig plants when they are dormant from our outdoor beds and ship them April-May and October. Some species go dormant in the summer and we can ship them July/August. We are among the few still employing this production method, which is labor intensive but plant-friendly. They arrive to you dormant, with little to no top-growth (bare-root), packed in peat moss. They should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or anytime the soil is not frozen. A root photo is included with each species to illustrate the optimal depth and orientation. Planting instructions/care are also included with each order.
Download: Installing Your Bare-Root Plants
Potted Plants
3-packs and trays of 32, 38, or 50 plants leave our Midwest greenhouses based on species readiness (being well-rooted for transit) and order date; Spring shipping is typically early May through June, and Fall shipping is mid-August through September. Plants shipped in spring may be overwintered and still emerging from dormancy. Potted plants are typically 4-9 months old when they ship. Plant tray cells are approximately 2” wide x 5” deep in the trays of 38 and 50, and 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep in the 3-packs and trays of 32; ideal for deep-rooted natives. Full-color tags and planting & care instructions are included with each order.
Download: Planting and Care of Potted Plants
TOOL SHED and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the item. In other words, they SHIP FREE!
Shipping SeasonSEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within a day or two upon receipt.
DeliveryWe ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee.
FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.
