Our Techniques

Seed Collection

Annual seed collection is necessary to maintain an active seed bank, to replenish seed from annual propagation activities and to ensure high quality genetically diverse seed. Seed collection occurs on sites where there has been no restoration with cultivated plants or seed. LINPI collections occur on parklands, preserves and private lands. In all cases, permission is obtained from the landowner. Harvested seed is used to establish founder plots or for the production of plants.

Seed cleaning

Once harvested, seed is dried to reduce decay and disease and to increase viability. Since many seeds are harvested on stem, additional processing is required and this takes place at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Center in Cape May, New Jersey. Although seed cleaning is a laborious process, it is critical to ensure high quality seed for storage and subsequent use.

seed banking

A seed bank is a central repository of harvested seed from select plant species. Seed banking is critical to LINPI activities because the bank provides ready access to high quality viable seed from each collection site for future seed propagation. LINPI seed collections are stored at the Greenbelt Native Plant Center’s Regional Seed Bank in Staten Island in a climate controlled environment to ensure a constant supply of genetically diverse and high quality seed.

plant propagation

Herbaceous and woody plants are propagated at the Sister’s of St. Joseph Campus in Brentwood for subsequent use in founder plots or sale. Some seed are first scarified and stratified to break dormancy and then placed into seeding trays.

Small plantlets are then transplanted in to larger trays which are then eventually moved to an outside yard so that the plants can acclimate. Greenhouse maintenance and care is performed by our wonderful nursery staff and volunteers.

founders plot

Once ecotypic plants have been propagated in containers, they are transplanted into our Founder’s plot that is used to produce modest quantities of seed for subsequent commercial scale production. The use of founder plots results in the the controlled and satisfactory yield of weed-free seed which is the genetically pure representation for the seed production.