What Is Local High Quality Seed Worth?

Why go through all the work to start a native prairie planting, have it establish slowly and then die? Slow establishment and death result in one thing – weeds! Why go through all the effort of planting a prairie and then risk success on the most important part – the seed?

The results are in. Our local University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station did side-by-side comparisons with local ecotype seed and Western U.S.-sourced seed in garden plots. The local ecotype seed germinated better and faster, produced larger seedlings, and produced more viable seed by the end of the season. Agrecol® customers have found the same to be true. Plant long-term success – plant Agrecol local ecotype seed.

Seeds are living organisms that can, under the wrong storage conditions or with age, die. Live and dead seeds are visually identical. Untested seed is really organic matter that may or may not be viable. Plants will never grow from dead seeds.

At Agrecol all our native seed seed is sold only after it is 3rd party tested to Pure Live Seed standards (PLS). PLS is an independent measurement of purity and germination. That means you are only paying for live seeds. It also means that at Agrecol, your planting rate is based only on live individuals. Plant-tested success – plant Agrecol Pure Live Seed.

Many prairie species have attached dispersal appendages (chaff) that decrease bulk density and tangle easily, making planting harder and less successful. Most prairies are planted by hand or with a seed drill, negating the need for the dispersal appendages. Agrecol cleans and conditions seed using the latest technology. We remove unnecessary dispersal appendages and increase the bulk density of the seed. This means more live seeds per ounce and you do not pay for the unnecessary chaff. This also means that our super-clean seed will flow through the planting equipment uniformly, minimizing drill clogging, and increasing soil-seed contact. Plant uniformity – plant Agrecol super clean seed.

What does all this lead to? The species you plant will germinate quickly, produce strong healthy seedlings, and begin to out-compete the weeds sooner; this adds to the prairie seed bank in the soil. In addition, you will not have a clogged seed drill, resulting in unplanted areas full of invasive weeds.  You will have all the species you paid for, and you will not spend three to five years wondering if you will ever see a quality Forever Landscape™!