Wildflower Seed Harvesting

Where possible we seed harvest wildflowers native to the UK, always dealing with native wildflowers, plants, plugs, bulbs, seeds and heather. Our team of skilled professionals use a brush harvester to gather the wildflower seed, such as yellow rattle, purple clover and vetch. We collaborate with our sister company Cumbria Wildflowers whose nursery team grows an extensive range of native wildflowers from seed.

These native wildflowers are particularly good for a number of reasons:

1) They encourage native UK wildlife into restored wildflower meadows. This is good for cross-pollination purposes and for the UK wildlife species. Every native UK wildlife species can provide a natural feeding ground for other UK wildlife species including birds, bees, moths, and butterflies.

2) After the meadow is brush harvested, we then dry out the seed, and take it back to the nursery where the seeds can be sorted accordingly. The harvested seed can then be used to restore another meadow, or continue to develop an already restored but young meadow.

3) By using a brush harvester, with lightweight wheels, we do not damage the hay in the meadow, thereby enabling the landowner to cut the hay for animal feeding pruposes.

4) Some native wildflowers, like yellow rattle, have an amazing capacity to restrict the growth of most grasses. When fully mature, a meadow will have around 80 varieties of native wildflowers, creating a valuable habitat for both plant life and wildlife.

We can Harvest seed from Meadows and Heathlands:
To expand existing habitats, local seed can be harvested from one area to be sown elsewhere. We use a brush harvester to harvest. This leaves a certain amount of stalk and chaff within the mix. The reduction in mechanical handling means that the seed has minimal damage and has a very good germination rate.
The seed can then be re-sown using our spreader the same day as green-hay, or the seed can be dried and stored to be sown at a later date. In certain cases, hand-sowing may be more appropriate.

If you need further advice, please contact our specialist Cumbria Wildflowers team at enquiries@cumbriawildflowers.co.uk or telephone 01288 711282.