Genetically Diverse Seed Strains
, by Nina Mgrdichian, 1 min reading time
You may wish to grow your own seedlings for a shelterbelt or landscaping project or you enjoy growing plants and realize the satisfaction of personally reforesting some of your land, improving wildlife habitat, having an novel school project or just because you enjoy the challenge of growing plants.
Although many people think that all plants of the same species are alike, they are actually very different both morphologically (how they look) and physiologically (how they function). Plants have adapted to their environment over time and will therefore grow best under those conditions.
When growing your plants it is important to use seeds collected from trees that are adapted to your growing conditions. For example Manitoba (boxelder) maple occurs over a wide geographic area across Canada and the northerner United States. Using maple seed from warmer climates of eastern North America for planting in western Canada is usually not successful as those plants evolved in a more moderate climate and their growing rhythm will be out of sync if planted in the west. Using local seed is the best option for having hardy adapted trees. Moving trees from one environment to another induces stress and, in many cases poor growth and eventual death.
At GreenTree Agroforestry Solutions we only provide seed that has proven, over many years, to be highly adapted to a wide range of growing conditions. We only collect from trees with demonstrated ability to survive and grow in difficult growing conditions.
Growing your own trees from seed is fun and rewarding. There is much satisfaction to be gained in propagating seeds knowing that a single tree seed can make a difference, in time it will grow to be a magnificent tree, providing a winter home to chilled bird, shade a tired child on a hot day, cleanse the soil of pollutants and purify our air capturing and storing climate changing carbon.
Why wouldn't you plant that seed!