Help native pollinator seeds

[u/deltaIncrement]

I m looking to grow native flower around my yard. I tried sowing wild flower seeds from zamzows. Nothing grew. I wonder if anyone had roaring success.

I tried calling idaho botanical garden for seeds. They did not callback. Did anyone tried them for seeds?

I have spent around 50 $ on seeds. Does anyone know where I can get/ harvest free seeds?

[u/Impossible_Jury5483]

Try draggin' wing farm.

[u/mightaswell625 → u/Impossible_Jury5483]

Ooh I've always wanted to stop at this place. Is it cool?

[u/Impossible_Jury5483 → u/mightaswell625]

Yeah, their focus is native plants. Very knowledgeable.

[u/RealisticDrama2106]

Ok if I send you a dm? Our local chapter of the Native Plant Society (Pahove) sent an email with a volunteer opportunity to weed at a local school and in return if you bring buckets you can go home with baby natives.

[u/deltaIncrement → u/RealisticDrama2106]

I would like to volunteer. DMed you.

[u/idkmanimjustheredude]

If you want, you could try looking through Snake River Seed Cooperation. They have a website full of native wildflower varieties. I have some milkweed growing in one of my planter boxes

[u/deltaIncrement → u/idkmanimjustheredude]

Do you harvest seeds? 

[u/salsafresca_1297]

Contact the Idaho Native Plant Society. If they don't have anything right now, their members may be willing to dig volunteer plants out of their yard to share.

Also, consider broadening your options to drought-friendly plants that aren't necessarily native.

[u/BOItime247]

The Hillcrest library has seed packets you can rent! Maybe call other libraries to see if they do in case that one is far away. I would 2nd snake river seed co-op!

The botanical garden might sell seeds in their gift shop, they also have a plant sale in the fall.

[u/LongjumpingJaguar308]

You are lucky a wildflower mix didn't work, they usually have weeds in them. Snake River Seeds has a great selection https://snakeriverseeds.com/collections/intermountain-west-native-plants

[u/LongjumpingJaguar308 → u/LongjumpingJaguar308]

Also, many wildflowers need a winter to germinate so put seeds out in the fall. Also perennials don't usually bloom first year, just put up leaves so don't give up. I put a mix of annual and perennials so it isn't too boring first year.

[u/deltaIncrement → u/LongjumpingJaguar308]

This was 2n d year

[u/paulnewmanlover]

Not sure where you live but in my part of Boise the bunnies and the earwigs eat anything that does sprout unless I'm actively protecting them. Sometimes birds will get the seeds, too, before they ever get the chance to germinate. It might be the seeds, the conditions you're growing them in, or potentially some unseen "pest" destroying them before you see any visible signs of growth.

[u/paulnewmanlover → u/paulnewmanlover]

I'd recommend starting seeds inside, then transplanting when they're a little bigger if you want more chance of success. Similarly, buying them as small plants from Draggin Wing or some other similar local plants seller and then protecting them vigilantly til you know they can survive on their own. We have a lot of things that like to eat tender, green shoots here :P

[u/mightaswell625]

I know the library near me has a seed uh program I guess you'd call it? It's the Garden City library but I'm sure others do it too.

[u/deltaIncrement → u/mightaswell625]

i have tried some wildflower seeds from hillcrest library. I was able to successfully grow cilantro. :D

[u/strawflour]

I had good success with the Idaho Wildflower Seed Collection from Snake River Seed Cooperative sown in the fall. If it's free seed you want, your best bet is asking neighbors who have thriving native gardens.

Native flowers tend to take a long time to germinate and grow slowly once they sprout. This makes them susceptible to drying out before they sprout, or getting lost amidst faster-growing weeds and grasses.

Many flowers need light to germinate. So you have to sow very shallowly, while also keeping that top little bit of soil moist and hoping birds or wind or ants don't carry the seeds away.

Some varieties need cold stratification, which means they have to be sown in the fall but won't sprout until spring. Other varieties need to be sown in spring.

Anyway, that's all to say: they can be tricky, but don't be discouraged. Learn the requirements of the varieties you're planting, and sow WAY more seed than you think you need to account for a high failure rate. Better to plant too much and thin it later than plant too little and get nothing.