Presentation on seed collection, processing, and planting at Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove, Illinois

1. Nachusa Grasslands
Mary and Alan Meier

2. Nachusa Grasslands is about 3,000 acres,
located near Franklin Grove, Illinois, in Lee
and Ogle Counties.

3. Nachusa Grasslands is owned and managed by
The Nature Conservancy, a private, non-profit
charitable organization.
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to
preserve the plants, animals, and natural
communities that represent the diversity of life on
Earth by protecting the lands and waters they
need to survive.

4. The preserve is celebrating its 25th
Anniversary in 2011.
Photo courtesy of Wes Gibson

5. Since 1986, 32 tracts have been
protected, ranging from 10 acres to to 1,000 acres.

6. Nachusa contains many remnants of rare prairies,
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

7. rocky outcroppings,

8. savannas,

9. sandstone ridges,

10. woodlands,
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

11. and wetlands.

12. The remaining prairies in North America
are now rarer than rainforests.
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

13. By collecting . . .

14. and planting seeds,

15. managing invasive weeds and brush,

16. repairing wetlands,

17. and returning fire to the ecosystem,

18. . . . the Nachusa staff and volunteers are helping
to restore our natural heritage.
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

19. We are replanting prairie habitats in the
farmland between the remnants to
create a sustainable natural landscape.

20. Volunteers play an essential role in
maintaining and restoring the preserve.

21. Some volunteers serve as Stewards, managing
specific units on the preserve.

22. Others help out wherever and whenever
they are needed.

23. Volunteer Activities
• Brush Clearing
December to May
• Weed Removal
May to August
• Seed Picking, Processing, and Planting
May to November
• Prescribed Burns
October and November
March and April

24. Work days coordinated by Stewards take place
every Saturday morning throughout the year.

25. Training and equipment are provided for all
volunteer work days – no experience or
expertise is required.

26. Fire Crews go through extensive training and are
highly supervised.

27. Fire helps to promote species diversity by
controlling invasive weeds, shrubs and trees.

28. Fire also stimulates new plant growth
and returns nutrients back to the soil.

29. Nachusa’s plant inventory includes at
least 855 species.

30. Forbs bloom from May to September and
are harvested from spring through late fall.

31. General Seed Readiness Criteria
• Seed coats changing from green to brown
• Seed heads fluffed out
• Earliest formed seeds dropping
• Stems dry and usually brown – no longer
receiving nourishment from roots
• Seeds in pods dark and hard

32. Plantain Pussy Toes
(Antennaria plantaginifolia)
Blooms in May

33. Pick Pussy Toes in May when the seed
heads have fluffed out.

34. Arrow-Leaved Violet
(Viola sagittata)
Blooms in May

35. Birdsfoot Violet
(Viola pedata)
Blooms in May

36. Violet Wood Sorrel
(Oxalis violacea)
Blooms in May

37. Pick Violets in late May or early June
when the seeds are firm.

38. Seed picking methods vary per species.

39. Seed Picking Equipment
• Plastic buckets
• Straps can be attached for two-handed picking
• Seed pouches worn around waist (Jim-Gem)
• Polypropylene bags
• Paper sacks
• Fiskars pruning snips
• Victorinox Rose-Grape Gatherer or Swiss Army
Harvester Garden Tool; Fiskars Cut and Hold
snips
• Heavy duty garden shears
• Leather gloves to protect fingers and prevent
blisters

40. Prairie Smoke
(Geum triflorum )

41. Prairie Smoke is one of the rarest and
most beautiful plants at Nachusa.

42. Pick Prairie Smoke by hand in late May or early
June when the seed heads are very loose.

43. Shooting Star
(Dodecantheeon meadia)
Blooms in May

44. Pick Shooting Star in July when the seed heads are
beginning to open at the top and tiny seeds fall out
when the head is held upside down.

45. Cream Wild Indigo
(Baptisia leucophaea)
Blooms in May
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

46. Pick Cream Wild Indigo in July or August when
most of the seed pods are partially black.

47. Cream Wild Indigo may be infested with weevils, but
there are usually a few seeds present in most pods.

48. Hoary Puccoon
(Lithospermum canescens )
Blooms in May

49. Pick Hoary Puccoon in June when the
seeds are brown.

50. False Toadflax
(Comandra umbellata)
Blooms in May

51. Pick False Toadflax in June when the
seeds are hard little balls.

52. Common Spiderwort
(Tradescantia ohiensis)
Blooms in May and June
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

53. Pick Spiderwort in July when the pods are
turning yellow and haven’t all popped open.

54. Thimbleweed
(Anemone cylindrica)
Blooms in June

55. Pick Thimbleweed in September when the seed
head has started to fluff and gives no resistance
when stripping by hand.

56. Pale Purple Coneflower
(Echinacea pallida)
Blooms in June

57. Pick Coneflower in August when the seed head is
completely black and several inches of stem below
the seed head are also black.

58. Wear gloves when picking or processing
Coneflower, as the seed heads are very spiky.

59. Nachusa is well-known for its
Coneflower, Leadplant, and Coreopsis
abundance.

60. Keeping Species Separate
• Generally we pick just one species at a time.
• We keep records of how much of each
species we pick and can't do that if we mix
species.
• We also store the seeds separately so that
we can make different mixes at planting
time.
• We do pick multiple species at once if we
put the seeds in separate bags in our
buckets or pouches.

61. Leadplant
(Amorpha canescens)
Blooms in June

62. Pick Leadplant in September when the
seed heads are grayish brown and the
seeds have not yet begun to drop

63. Goat's Rue
(Tephrosia virginiana)
Blooms in June

64. Pick Goat's Rue in September when the
seed pods are brown, brittle, and
twisted, and at least some pods have split
open.

65. Hill’s Thistle
(Cirsium hillii [pumilu]) Photo courtesy of
Blooms in June Ann Haverstock

66. Pick Hill’s Thistle in July when the
seed head is almost fluffed out. Hill’s
Thistle is a threatened species in
Illinois.

67. Wild Lupine
(Lupinus perennis)
Blooms in June

68. Pick Wild Lupine in June when pods are
darkening, but have not yet popped.

69. Philadelphia Lily Blooms in June
Don’t pick or even
(Lilium philadelphicum) touch – just enjoy

70. Purple Prairie Clover
(Petalostemum or Dalea purpureum)
Blooms in July

71. Pick Purple Prairie Clover in August when the
stems are brown and the seed heads have
minimal resistance when hand stripped. Be sure
to enjoy the lovely odor.

72. White Prairie Clover
(Petalostemum or Dalea candidum)
Blooms in July

73. White Prairie Clover seeds are harder and
darker than Purple Prairie Clover ones and
should also be picked in August when stems are
brown and seed heads have minimal resistance
when hand stripped.

74. Butterfly Weed
(Asclepias tuberosa interior)
Blooms in July

75. Pick Butterfly Weed in August when the seed pods
have split open or can be opened by gently
squeezing on the pods.

76. Wild Quinine
(Parthenium integrifolium)
Blooms in July

77. Pick Wild Quinine in September when the
seed heads are gray.

78. Flowering Spurge
(Euphorbia corollata)
Blooms in July

79. Pick Flowering Spurge in September
when the seeds are small green balls.

80. Wild Bergamot
(Monarda fistulosa)
Blooms in July

81. Pick Wild Bergamot in September when
the seed heads are brown.

82. Prairie Tall Cinquefoil
(Potentilla arguta)
Blooms in July

83. Pick Prairie Tall Cinquefoil
in September when the
seed heads are brown or
almost brown. Seeds will
fall out when held upside
down.

84. Tall Gayfeather; Prairie Blazing Star
(Liatris pycnostachya)
Blooms in July

85. Pick Prairie Blazing Star in October when
the seeds are fluffed. Cut off the top of the
head if it’s not completely fluffed and then
pick more later when more seeds have
matured.

86. Hairy Hawkweed
(Hieracium longipilum)
Blooms in July through September

87. Pick Hairy
Hawkweed by hand
in July through
September when
the seed heads are
fluffy – take only the
ripe seeds and
leave the rest to
mature.

88. Hoary Vervain
(Verbena stricta)
Blooms in July

89. Pick Hoary Vervain in October when
the seeds and stems are brown.

90. Blue Vervain
(Verbena hastata)
Blooms in July

91. Pick Blue Vervain in October when
the seeds and stems are brown.

92. Rattlesnake Master
(Eryngium yuccifolium)
Blooms in July

93. Pick Rattlesnake Master in October when
the seed heads are brown, and the stems
are starting to turn brown.

94. Black-Eyed Susan
(Rudbeckia hirta)
Blooms in July

95. Black-Eyed Susan grows well in early restorations
among agricultural and other weeds.

96. Pick Black-Eyed Susan in August when
the seed heads and stems are black.

97. Rosinweed
(Silphium integrifolium)
Blooms in July

98. Pick Rosinweed in September when the seed
heads are brown and dry.

99. Rough Blazing Star
(Liatris aspera)
Blooms in August

100. Rough Blazing Star on Dot’s Knob
Photo courtesy of Kirk Hallowell

101. Pick Rough Blazing
Star in October when
the seeds are fluffed.
Cut off the top of the
head if it’s not
completely fluffed
and then pick more
later when more
seeds have matured.

102. Nodding Wild Onion
(Allium cernuum)
Blooms in August

103. Pick Nodding Wild Onion in September
when the seeds are black and at least
some pods have opened so that a few
seeds are visible.

104. Round-Headed Bush Clover
(Lespedeza capitata)
Blooms in August

105. Pick Round-Headed Bush Clover in
September when the seed heads are brown.

106. Compass Plant
(Silphium laciniatum)
Blooms in August

107. Compass Plants
leaves orient
themselves in a
north to south
direction to
avoid the direct
rays of the
midday sun. The
leaves are
usually quite
cold because
their roots can
be 16 feet deep.

108. Pick Compass Plant in September when the
seed heads are brown and can easily be pulled
from the stem.

109. Pale Indian Plantain
(Cacalia atriplicifolia)
Blooms in July

110. Pick Pale Indian Plantain in September when the
seed heads have fluffed out.

111. Tall Coreopsis
(Coreopsis tripteris)
Blooms in August

112. Pick Tall Coreopsis in September when the seed
heads are dark brown or black.

113. Slender Mountain Mint
(Pycnanthemum tenuifolium)
Blooms in August

114. Pick Slender Mountain Mint in October when
the seed heads are completely gray. Be sure
to enjoy the aroma of a crushed seed head.

115. Old Field Goldenrod
(Solidago nemoralis )
Blooms in September

116. Pick Goldenrod in October when the
seed heads are completely or almost
completely fluffed out.

117. Indian Grass
(Sorghastrum nutans)
Blooms in August

118. Big Bluestem
(Andropogon gerardii)
Blooms in August

119. Canada Wild Rye
(Elymus canadensis)
Blooms in August

120. Little Bluestem
(Andropogon [Schizachyrium] scoparium)
Blooms in August

121. Pick Little Bluestem in October when the
seed heads have fluffed out.

122. Prairie Gentian
(Gentiana purberulenta)
Blooms in September
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

123. Bottle (or Closed) Gentian
(Gentiana andrewsii)
Blooms in September
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

124. Fringed Gentian
(Gentiana [Gentianopsis] crinita)
Blooms in September
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

125. Pick Gentian in October when the seed pods
have turned brown and have split open or can
be opened by gently squeezing on the pods.
The seeds are small, tan flakes.

126. Stiff Aster
(Aster linariifolius)
Blooms in September
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

127. Pick Aster in October when the
seed heads have fluffed out.

128. The Nachusa Headquarters Barn was built in
1867. About ten years ago, it was moved to the site
and reconstructed. Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

129. The Barn has a seed processing area,
lunch/meeting room, office, loft, garage, and
workshop. Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

130. Seed Processing Equipment
Racks for Drying Seeds

131. Seed Racks and Poly Bags
Photo courtesy of Hank and Becky Hartman

132. “Octopus” for Drying Seeds

133. Electric blowers for drying large quantities of seed.

134. Hammermill for Separating Seeds from Chaff

135. Hammermill with Seed Vacuum

136. Hammermill Tray with Seeds and Netting

137. Garbage Can for Collecting Milled Seed

138. Funnel for Poly Bags

139. Funnel for Grocery Sacks

140. Hand Processing Screen and Box

141. You can also put a screen on the
floor, spread seeds on it, and then use
your feet to mill them.

142. Scale for Weighing Seeds

143. Seed Barrels

144. Work Area with Various Supplies

145. A view of the prairie from the Barn window.
Photo courtesy of Kirk Hallowell

146. Seed Mixes
• We plant some species individually, but
generally we put seeds in a seed mix before
planting.
• For our most recent planting, we made three
seed mixes – mesic, dry mesic, and general.
• If we have any questions what mix to put a
species in, we refer to Swenk and Wilhelm.
• To mix the seeds, we put down a large
tarp, pour all the seeds onto the tarp, mix them
well using rakes and shovels, and then shovel
the seeds back into the barrels.

147. Barrels of mixed seeds ready to plant.
Photo courtesy Hank and Becky Hartman

148. Restoration Planting Methods
• Harvest corn in September or October.
• Burn corn stubble in early November.
• Spread seed mixes – general mix over the entire
planting after November 15 and before the ground
freezes.
• Harrow the field.
• Many seeds require exposure to cold temperatures
for a certain period of time, and the freezing and
thawing of the ground prepares the seeds for
germination in the spring.
• If you wait and plant in March or April then many of
the seeds will not germinate until the following year.

149. Lime spreader for planting seeds.
Photo courtesy Hank and Becky Hartman

150. Hand broadcasting and harrowing.
Photo courtesy Hank and Becky Hartman

151. Overseeding Methods
• Overseeding in November or December is preferred,
especially if the area is burned first.
• After a spring burn (March or April) – only best if there
is a heavy thatch buildup and cannot do a fall burn.
• Plant as you pick – violets – pick, let dry for a week so
they dehisce, and then plant the next week.
• Porcupine grass – pick in the morning and plant that
afternoon.
• Follow nature's pattern by planting at the same time
that the seeds would naturally fall from the plant.
• This can work well, especially if you burned the prior
spring or fall because there should not be a lot of
thatch build up.

152. Where to Collect Seeds
• Seeds should be picked as close to the
restoration as possible – 25 to 50 mile
radius.
• The genotype should be better adapted to
the location of your restoration.
• Most of our seeds are picked at Nachusa.
• Other options – railroad and road right of
ways and hillsides.
• Always obtain permission of landowners or
public area managers before collecting.

153. Keeping Seed Records
• GPS works well for tracking the exact
locations of your seed sources.
• Keep seed diaries that record the
locations and dates that you picked a
species.
• Detailed records will help you remember
where and when to pick in subsequent
years.

154. www.nature.org
www.nachusagrasslands.org

155. Questions and Comments?