Seed Sowing May 2026
Seed sowing is such a hopeful and positive activity to do.
Recently at the Community Nursery we sowed over 100 trays of different seeds, all in the promise of spring germination and producing the next lot of plants for people to put in the ground on their properties.
There were 50 large trays of the most common natives for restoration – kohuhu, tarata, mingimingi, cabbage tree, hebe, ribbonwood, broadleaf and wetland plants toe toe, red tussock, Carex secta, salt-marsh ribbonwood, to name but a few.
Then there are the “big trees” – with future years in mind we sow kahikatea, pokaka, totara, rimu, maitai and miro seeds. They take longer to germinate and grow and then need to be planted into a sheltered nurturing environment. And then there are the rarities – those threatened plants that will go into special places.
All the seed collecting, cleaning, preparation has taken from December to May and you need to be constantly on the lookout for seeds. If you miss the collecting then you have missed another year of having that opportunity. But it is also important to know what you are collecting – otherwise you might end up growing something like Coprosma robusta (a weedy northern native) instead of Coprosma lucida a local native.
Nursery seed sowing on Friday went extremely well – like a well oiled machine with Linda and Chris at the helm and 20 willing helpers. All the sown trays of seedlings were then put under protective covers to make sure the neighbours cats don’t think they are litter trays (there’s nothing worse!) and the mice and birds cant eat the seeds. The seed trays sit out all winter getting rained on and their winter chilling (natural cold stratification) and can be relied upon to germinate in September when the whole nursery process starts again for a new season.
Come along on a Friday morning if you want to learn more.
Chris and Brian
www.southlandcommunitynursery.org.nz
Posted: 2 June 2026