Advice and information for germinating and growing native plants:

The following tips we’ve learned to be beneficial for sowing, growing, and planting with native species. But making mistakes, learning new things, improving on guidance, and growing as a gardener can be fun and rewarding on its own. Nothing here is set in stone. Get your hands dirty!

Direct Sowing Seeds: seeds and seed mixes can be directly sown on open soil in a garden. If a stratification period is needed, seeds are best sown outdoors in the fall or early winter. Seeds with dormancy sown in the spring or summer will germinate the next year. Sowing directly before a snowstorm is a great natural way to make sure there is good seed to soil contact, as the snow presses the soil to the ground.
 

Some seeds with tap roots will grow healthiest if directly sown, and are stunted in containers, or experience transplant shock if sown in containers and then planted in the garden. But they will do just fine if germinated in containers and transplanted when they are seedlings (1-6 months old) before their roots develop deeply.
 

In general we don’t recommend direct sowing for most of the individual species we sell as individual seed, from a standpoint of efficiency (see Managing Expectations with Seeds). Many seeds require light to germinate, and may be moved from the area they are sown due to wind and rain runoff. Seedlings are susceptible to disease and drought, or seed may be consumed by birds, animals, or insects before germinating. Generally, direct sowing seed in a garden will result in less successful germination and seedling survival than sowing in protected containers, where they can be transplanted out in the garden, usually 1-6 months after germinating.​

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Container Sowing Seeds: sowing seeds in pots and containers, or a jug (i.e. the “milk jug method”) is a great way to ensure uniform germination. Seeds in containers are better protected from pests, animals, disease, and harsh weather. Conversely, containers can dry out quickly, or become waterlogged, and will require monitoring as seedlings are growing. All containers must have drainage holes to ensure water does not sit too long in the soil. Porous ceramic containers can wick moisture out of potting soil quickly, and are not preferable for germinating seeds, or will require additional monitoring.
 

​Sunlight: young seedlings will need bright light, but can be easily killed by too much full sun. We recommend placing germinated containers in a place that gets a few hours of morning sun and afternoon shade. Near the east facing side of a home, building, or structure will work. Or an area of your yard, porch or driveway that gets morning sun but is shaded by trees later in the day. Unexpectedly warm spring days combined with full afternoon sun exposure can dry out and kill small seedlings as quickly as in an hour or two. Containers sealed with lids or humidity domes will quickly steam baby plants to death if there is no ventilation. If you find seedlings are constantly wilting, consider moving them into even more shade until you decide to transplant them in your garden.

Young native plants often don’t need extra protection from sun as they are being established, assuming proper acclimation (such as those going into full 6+ hour sun). As a precaution, you can temporarily shade newly transplanted plants for 1 week to help get them acclimated (see Transplant Shock). If you notice a plant is struggling in a newly planted site, showing sunburnt, shrivelled, curled, discolored or bleached leaves, make sure it is getting enough shade. If not, consider relocating it when appropriate in fall or spring. (See Light Exposure under Plant Terminology)

Soil For Seeds and Seedlings: for germinating seeds we recommend a well-drained seed starting or potting soil mix. Commercial mixes are available, such as ProMix. Coconut coir is a popular and affordable sterile potting media. In our experience peat based potting soils do not retain water well and will dry out quickly, becoming hydrophobic when bone dry. We make our own seed starting mix and seedling media from a combination of homemade leaf compost, vermiculite, and fine shredded pine bark.

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Soil Amending: for planting young or mature plants into the ground, a mix of half (or more) of your native soil and half (or less) of well-rotted compost or leaf mulch is our general recommendation. When amending soil, keep in mind the preference of soil type for a species, and amend more or less as needed. Do not use peat based potting soils to amend native soil; we find this can cause the soil to become hydrophobic over time. (See Soil Types under Plant Terminology.)

Digging Holes and Mature Plants: Dig a hole between 1 - 2 times as large and deep as the pot or root ball, add and mix in compost, moisten soil, add the plant. The area of the plant where the stem or stalk meets the ground (often the crown of the plant) should not be graded lower than the edge of the hole and should not be heavily covered when infilling soil. Gently fill in soil around the plant and press down with a firm pressure. Too much heavy pressure may compact the soil. Too little pressure may not give the roots a good starting soil contact. Gently water overtop and around the base of the plant and surrounding soil.

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Seed To Soil Contact: all seeds require good contact with soil to ensure they receive enough moisture to germinate. Some seeds should only be surface sown, and others can be buried or covered, depending on the size of seed size. See below for specifics depending on the seed size.
 

Surface sow only: small or tiny, dust-particle-sized seeds require light to germinate, and should only be sprinkled over the surface of pre-moistened soil, and not covered or buried beneath the soil. Water lightly with a light spray or mist to keep the soil moist. Be careful when watering before germination occurs to not bury the seeds. (Optional) Sprinkling a thin layer of sterile sand or vermiculite overtop the soil and sown seeds won't negatively impact germination, and may help to maintain soil moisture and deter surface mold. The tinier the seed (Lobelia, Ludwigia, and Rhexia species as examples), the less helpful this addition will be, and we generally avoid it.
 

Seeds should be covered: larger seeds appreciate being covered by a layer of soil or buried when sown to aid in germination. A general rule of thumb is to cover them with a layer of soil no more than two to three times their width. However, it's better to plant seeds shallow, and most seeds will germinate even if surface sown. (Optional) Sprinkling a layer of sterile sand or vermiculite overtop the soil and sown seeds usually won't negatively impact germination, and may help to maintain soil moisture and deter surface mold.

Watering: for sowing seeds we recommend moistening soil prior. If sowing seed directly, immediately after rainfall or before a snowstorm is a great time to sow or broadcast seed. If sowing in containers (our preferred method), the potting soil should remain consistently moist throughout, but not soggy, until germination occurs. Once moistened, soil in milk jugs or other fully enclosed containers will rarely need to be watered again until being opened to separate seedlings. 
 

For small or tiny seeds, any subsequent watering before germination should be done with a fine spray or mist to not disturb, relocate, or bury the seeds. After germination, seedlings should be monitored regularly, the soil kept moist to semi-moist, and not allowed to dry out completely. For young and fragile seedlings, a spray mister is best.

Young native plants being transplanted into a garden or landscape will need to be monitored regularly for weather and water. Native plants are hardy, but If a plant is struggling in a site you have placed it, consider relocating it to a place with better soil moisture when appropriate. (See Soil Moisture under Plant Terminology)

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Fertilizing: we really do not recommend artificially fertilizing native plants once they are in the ground. Primarily because added fertilizer, if not used by a plant, enters water runoff and can pollute local waterways and aquatic ecosystems. There is evidence that added synthetic fertilizer has impacts on pollinating insect activity, and impacts native pollinator foraging behavior and health. Fertilizers can induce changes in flower production or altering nutrition structure of pollen and nectar¹, and alter biochemical cues many native bees use to sense flowers².

Many native plants are adapted to (and prefer to) rely only on the lean, low-nutrient soils of their environments. Or plants may naturally thrive in dense communities where nutrients are scarce. Or draw nutrients from the natural processes that build soil, such as fallen leaf litter on a forest floor. Fungi in the soil replenish soil nutrients. And many native plants actually create their own fertilizer (see Soil Inoculant). If desired, we recommend top feeding only with organic compost, decomposed wood chips, untreated wood mulch, or leaf mulch. Excessive fertilization often results in unhealthy overgrowth or draws scale bugs and aphids.

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¹ Glaum et al. (2017) found that nitrogen enrichment reduced floral diversity, which can limit forage resources for bees and butterflies. Source: Glaum, P., & Kessler, A. (2017). "Functional mismatch in plant–pollinator interactions caused by nitrogen deposition." Biology Letters, 13(6), 20170189. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0189
 

² Duell, E. B., Settele, J., Potts, S. G., & Breeze, T. D. (2022). "Agricultural pesticides pose a greater hazard to insect pollinators than fertilizers." PNAS Nexus, 1(5), pgac230. DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac230
 

Divide &/or Transplant Seedlings: When germinated seedlings have developed several sets of true leaves, their root systems are developed enough for them to be divided and transplanted into individual pots or directly into your garden. Small (pint or plug) potted plants are usually good to transplant into soil once the roots are visible coming out of the drainage holes. Cloudy and cool days, or rainy weeks of spring and autumn are the best times to transplant (see Transplant Shock). One year old or younger plants may need regular monitoring and occasional watering to survive. Keep the soil consistently moist but avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot or dampening off.
 

An old gardening adage after establishing new plants in the ground is: “water daily for the first week, weekly for the first month, monthly for the first year.” After 1 full season, most native plants don’t need additional care except in times of extreme heat or drought.
 

Transplant Shock: refers to the stress that plants experience when they are moved from one growing environment to another, such as from a germination container to a pot, or pot to the ground, or between different soils. The roots of a plant are its circulatory system. Transplanting inevitably damages roots, and a plant will often display signs of shock after being transplanted. Temporarily slowed growth, leaves wilting, yellowing, or dropping off. Young plants generally fare better than older, more established plants when it comes to tolerating severe root disturbance.
 

In severe cases, a plant may die completely back to its rhizome, or back down to its roots and crown (the part of the plant at/below ground-level, between root and stem), going dormant but not dead. It is an adaptation plants have for getting through times of stress. They will create renewed growth as they settle into their new site, as their roots begin to grow, anywhere from a few days/weeks/months, or (rarely) in spring of the next year. Generally the stronger/deeper rooted the plant (woody plants, legumes, and species with taproots), the more likely they will suffer transplant shock and dieback. So if your plant dies back, wait a few months or 1 season to see if it makes new growth before replacing it.
 

Transplant shock can lead to stunted growth or plant death if not properly addressed. Here are some tips:
 

• Make sure soil is moist before and after transplanting. Keep roots moist but not soggy.

• Handle roots as gently as possible. Minimize disturbance and tearing of roots during transplanting.

• Do not pull plants out of soil by their stems. Scoop the plants out from the soil to capture as many roots as possible to maintain the root structure.

• If the plant is flowering, remove all flowers before transplanting. A flowering plant is not focused on growing roots. Removing its flowers will help it to focus on developing its roots.

• Transplant in the right conditions. Cloudy and cool days or rainy weeks of spring and autumn are the best times to transplant. You can also shade newly transplanted plants for 1 week. Anything that will produce some shade over the plant will do. The hotter it is outside, the longer to shade the plant.

• Do not fertilize during transplanting, or at all (see Fertilizing). Top feed only with compost or leaf mulch only.

• (Optional) Mulching or top-dressing loosely around the base of plants helps to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature during establishment. Shredded fallen leaves, pine straw, pine bark nuggets, straw or rice hulls are options. Many herbaceous species do not like to be covered or surrounded with mulch, so use caution.
   

Have patience with plants as they transition into their new homes. A modern gardener adage is "First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap," referring to how in years 1 to 2 transplanted perennials often don't show much growth or change, and in year 3 they are off and running.
 

Manage Expectations With Seeds: growing native plants from seed is rewarding, but a game of patience. It is a budget-friendly choice for establishing a garden compared to buying potted plants. But you may need to wait months (or even years) for a plant to go through its natural dormancy and germinate, but most seed grown perennials will need a year or two of root development under their belt to begin flowering. Deep rooted species may not flower until age 3 or 4. A plant you buy from a nursery or garden center is anywhere from 1 to 3 years old from the day it sprouted. Some commercial shrubs or trees are as old as 5-10 years.

A nursery-grown potted plant will bloom much quicker in your garden than the same plant grown from seed. If you want a quick display of blooms in a newly planted perennial bed, you can seed in (see Direct Sowing Seeds) or plant early successional native flowers like Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba), Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), and Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata). These native plants are either annuals, biennials, or short-lived perennials that bloom in their first year (if sown in winter or spring) and only propagate by reseeding, meaning they'll eventually fade out as perennials grow and spread.