Wild Rose College and Wholistic Clinic

(06/07/1999), Canada - Propagation

One of the first things we have to consider is how to get these `wild weeds` to grow under our domestication. The secret to unwinding germination and the growing of wild plants can usually be obtained by carefully observing the nature of the plant. We have to observe and ask ourselves questions like: during what season are the seeds naturally dropped? When do seedlings emerge? Do seedlings grow in undergrowth, out in the open, or in disturbed soil? What kind of soil and pH is best? The better we can simulate the natural growing niche, the faster our plants will grow. Many people fail by being too kind to their plants. Many herbs are weeds and grow in rough conditions. Sometimes these varying conditions are needed to encourage herbs to grow. Consider herbs that grow wild in your area first. If it is easy to create an ecological condition similar to the wilds, better success will be made. We then try to improve the conditions, by keeping down competition of weeds and rocks.

There are many complex systems to protect a plant from germinating at the wrong time in the wrong condition. Nature creates many forms of delay mechanisms to provide for diversity. A good example of this is Echinacea angustifolia, which has to be stratified for approximately 90 days before it will germinate. This makes sure it will not germinate until the spring and not in early fall getting killed by the first hard frost, before it gets a chance to create a strong enough root system.

There are several chemicals that can be present in the fruit of a plant which will inhibit germination until the fruit is gone. Often we can get rid of these germination inhibitors by washing the seed

Removal of germination inhibitors of fruit: American Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Cayenne, Nightshades, Elder, Siberian Ginseng, Ginkgo, Goldenseal, Poke, Prickly Ash, Schizandra, Spikenard and Wild Cherry.

Often nature does this by passing the fruit through the digestive tract of a bird or mammal.

Traditional: (Harvested well if harvested in Fall, Dried and planted in Spring)
Burdock. Calendula, Elecampane, Fennel, Hyssop, Marshmallow and Motherwort.

Often you need to just mark a group of seeds and place it in a flat outside and leave it for a year or two. Some plants take 20 to 400 days to germinate. (Hawthorn take 365 days)

The main ingredients you need for germination are; oxygen, moisture and warmth. Some people water their seeds too much and thus have a problem with not getting enough oxygen (drowning the seed). The seeds need to be moist but not drowned. Some seeds need a certain temperature, some need varying temperatures, some need light, some need to be scraped. Some seeds have chemical like hydrogencyanide (amygdalin), essential oils, alkaloids or coumarols that inhibit germination. These chemicals need to be leached out of the seed to start germination. This is often done by acids and digestive enzymes of some animals digestive tract, followed by rain.

Light dependent seeds
This mechanism is very common. Often a seed contains a protein pigment called phytochrome. This pigment prevents germination until the plant is exposed to red spectrum light from the sun This means the seed must be close to the surface without significant vegetation. Red spectrum can reach ½ inch in loose porous soil. We suggest plants of this type are planted on the surface with a light sprinkling of soil to prevent them from blowing away.

Some photo dependent plants are: Aconite, Angelica, Catnip, Datura, Figwort, Gentian, Heimia, Hypericum, Lobelia, Lovage, Monarda, Mullein, Spirea, Tobacco, Viola, and Wormseed.

Some plants are inhibited by light (due to growing undercover) such as Lily of the Valley.

Cold dependent:
American Ginseng, Black Walnut, Echinacea, Ginkgo, Gravel Root, Henbane, Lomatium, Mullein, Pleurisy Root, Poke, Sage and Schizandra.

Multi-cycle germinator (slow):
Hawthorn (1 yr.), Siberian Ginseng in warm season after 1-2 years outdoors, Uva Ursi ( few years), Virginia Snake root (Aristolochia serpentaria), Blue Cohosh, Blue Flag, Gentian, Goldenseal, Oregon Grape, Schizandra. Best kept in clay pots buried in the garden where they can get shade and moisture, cover with 1`` of peat moss.

Gibberelic acid dependant germinators:
Gibberelic acid (GA3) is a natural occurring diterpenoid growth hormone, produced in the soil by several fungi. Herbs that grow well with this are Pleurisy root, Pasque Flower, Gentian, Lobelia, Ginseng, Beth Root. Often you can have GA3 in the soil if it has good compost and is not sterilized.

Fresh seed requirements:
Some seeds do not tolerate dry storage. A few examples: American Ginseng, Bloodroot, Blue Cohosh, Goldenseal, Siberian Ginseng, Ginkgo, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Squaw Vine.

Heat dependent germinators:
A few plants need a very hot season. In our area this is not common except for fire succession species like Fireweed, Pines and some forms of Arnica.

Tiny seeds:
These seeds should be misted or bottom watered, or the seeds will float out of the seed location, often dislodging the root system.

Physical germination Barrier (Sclarification):
Must break the seed coat so the embryo can imbibe water. We often have to nick the skin or rub it between sandpaper, exposing the endosperm. Examples: Astragalus, Goat`s Rue. Hollyhocks, Licorice, Marshmallow, Melilot, Rue, Scotch Broom and Wild Indigo.

Flats:
Deep seed trays or flats have the added advantage of not drying out too fast, and are not as easy to over water. Some of the seeds form very deep seed roots

Preparing the field:
Black plastic, garden fabric, cover crops.

Irrigation and watering:
Night, drip. Over watering (shallow roots) damaged by heat

Echinacea -- Which Species to Grow?

There are three species that are extensively used Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), E. angustifolia (narrow-leaved coneflower), E. pallida (pale-purple coneflower). The main active ingredients are: caffeic acids, isobutylamides and polyacetylenes and polysaccharides. (Of course, the healing is accomplished by the herb and the human interaction, not the constituents). E. purpurea and E. angustifolia, have more of the active ingredients and grow better in our climate, therefore I concentrate on these. There is a constant market for both of the above plants. E. purpurea is easiest to germinate, grows faster and produces more biomass. It grows best in most of the growing areas around the USA and Europe, but not in Alberta. E. angustifolia is harder to geminate, and transplant, but winters best here. E. angustifolia is usually worth twice the price. Organic usually at least doubles the price you receive for the raw material or a value added product. It is strongly suggested that a trial patch be done before moving to whole fields. It is best to grow a 50-foot row before you plant 100 acres. See if you can get a contract before plant 15,000 plants.

Germination
The germination mechanism of Echinacea is a bit tricky, but as soon as you get it down, it is relatively easy. Echinacea has delay mechanisms to assure its survival. Echinacea seeds need to be stratified. This means the moist seed needs to be kept within a certain temperature range for a period of time to overcome the germination barriers.

E. purpurea: should be kept between -10 and +10 Degrees C for 20 - 45 days to germinate.
Or plant in very early spring (first week in April)

E. angustifolia: should be kept between -10 and +10 Degrees C for 40 - 100 days to germinate.
Or plant in the fall ( late Sept to middle of Oct.)

E. angus has deep roots, almost immediately, therefor a deep germination tray is best.

Best soil: Sand/organic compost/peatmoss/vermiculite/perite/dolomite/rock phosphate/kelp and worm cast. If you don`t have some of the ingredients on hand, leave them out. The idea is to have a combination which will hold water, drain readily, stay loose and provide nutrients. It is best to stay a bit on the neutral to alkaline side.

The soil that they grow in should not be acidic, being over pH 5 - 7.

Plant 7500 - 18,000 seedling per acre.

E. pur- can produce 1 - 2.5 pounds of areal part. Stems are 45% (not used) water content is 75%
The root are .4 - .6 pounds in second year, with .5 - .7 in the third year; water content is 68 - 72%.
E. angust has about 1 - 2 pounds of areal parts with approximately the root .4 - 1 pound. Water content is 60 - 65%

Dig the root after dormancy has set in.

E. pur can be dug (pried) by shovel or a digger bar set below 6``. Do not leave the roots exposed to sun long . Pile in shade and cover with moist burlap. Crowns usually have to be spit off to get out excessive dirt. Allow to drip dry over night. If using as fresh plant, they should be processed within two days. If drying them, place them in a warm, shaded place, with good circulation, ideally warm forced air, not above 40 C or 110 F.

E. angus. tractor harvest is not recommended. The roots are too long and fragile. The best tool is a sturdy spade, pushed deeply next to the plant and levered up to reveal the plant with lots of soil accompanied. Shake free the dirt. You can wash E. angus whole.

Seeds
The seeds consist of a spongy tan (E. angus is bi-coloured, brown and tan) pericarp enclosing the football-shaped endosperm. Do not try to remove the endosperm from the pericarp. The seeds mature faster if you stop watering them. The best time is when the seeds shatter from the seed head. The problem is to clean and plant in time. You can dry green seed head in the sun. The seed head should be crushed. (Hammer mill is recommended) after they really dry by mid winter they just fall out. The big job is to separate the two parts. This can be done in a commercial seed cleaner or on a small scale as below.

- pass the seeds through a 1/4`` screen to remove stems and some chaff portions. Then shake through a screen that is too small for the seed to go through, removing dust and fine chaff, including the dense corollas that look a little like seeds but are smaller and dark brown. Now what you have is seed with lots of remaining chaff that is approximately the same size.

This stage takes two people. Lay out a flannel sheet and pour out a scoopful of seed/chaff mixture. Lift the corner and roll the seeds down into a bowl that your partner is waiting with, funnelling them off the edge. The chaff will adhere to the flannel. Shake it off and repeat the process until the seeds are at the purity desired. This process does waste some seeds but it works fairly well. The seed should be thoroughly dried and stored in a closed container in a cool, dark place. The seed remains viable for about three years.

Astragalus
These seeds need to be gentle sclarafied. Germination is in about 7 - 12 days. The seedling should be planted on at least 1 foot centres, as the roots tend to spread. They are good nitrogen fixers and like poor soil. It takes four to seven years to produce a mature useable root. This plant grows best when watered deeply once a week. The surface soil, cannot be heavy with clay, as it is subject to crown rot. Good drainage is required. This plant has been known to hide for a year.

The larger the root the better the quality. Prices are not high for this plant, as the market is flooded with Chinese material. We suggest drying the whole root after 4-7 years. Do not to cut them into tongue depressors, as they will oxidize faster.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
Difficult to grow in our area, but worth a lot. Goldenseal is usually planted as a live dormant root in the fall. It prefers partial to full shade, deep loam with mixed clay, covered with leaf litter. It prefers to grow in patches. Mature 3-4 year old plants produce 5 grams of root. The plant spreads by underground runners. Plant on 1` centres, planting horizontally, just under the soil. By second year the spaces will be filled with `new` plants. At three years, berries are produced. The area develops to a good density in about 5 years.

Harvest: The leaves can be picked every year after rhizomes have started to send out the offspring and the leaves are just starting to wilt. Harvest the roots after the tops die back in late summer or early fall. Using a potato fork, shaking dirt off. Save the largest and plant them back. Wash the roots, and spread on screens to dry (about 1 week). Grind in a coffee grinder or a hammer mill with 1/32`` screen

Valerian (Valerian officinalis)
These plant will often self seed. I plant in flats, taking 7-14 days to germinate, but some slower ones can take up to 5 weeks. It takes one month to look like valerian. They should be planted out in 0.5 - 1 foot centres. Some people plant them in intense rows. Valerian prefers rich soil, high in phosphorus and humus, but clay soil can support it well enough. It is best to keep valerian from flowering the first year, thus producing a better root. Root division can be done in very early spring or winter, when the plant is dormant or they will bolt. Hoe the tops in the second year and side dress with compost.

Harvest: Usually after the second year, in Sept - Spring, by shovel. Dry under gentle heat 105 F and forced air. Best to rotate with nitrogen fixers.

Mints: We can often get several harvest of mints a year.

Codonopsis (Codonopsis pilosula, Dang-shen), `Poor man Ginseng`
Seeds are very small, so are best started in flats in a green house. Sprinkle seeds on the surface of the soil, water from bottom or with a fine spray to avoid dislodging seeds. 2 - 3 weeks to germinate, keep them moist, not soaked.
Plant 6`` apart in cool times. It likes slight shade and something to climb on. They can grow by sprawling on the ground. It like deep rich well-drained soil. Compost will increase root production. Harvest after 3 - 4 years. Each crown can have 1 -3 roots. Wash thoroughly. String and dry in the sun. The skin wrinkles. After a few days the root is rolled on a board to equalize drying. Place on a screen and roll again after a few days. It can still be flexible when dry.

Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) Ci-we-jia
Usually the fruits of this plant are eaten by birds, digested and deposited in cool woods, in leaf litter for years. The usual method is to put in a clay pot, partially buried, covered with peat, glass. Takes up to two years to sprout. Once it has sprouted, put in seed bed. It prefers cool, shaded areas with a fair amount of moisture. After one year in protected seed bed, reaching a height of 6``, transplant on 3` centres, keeping them well mulched. The plant bears fruit in fourth or fifth years, at which time roots reach sufficient size to harvest.

Harvesting: Dig lateral stolons by trenching next to plants. In this way you don`t kill the mother plant, preserving it to be harvested again in a few seasons. Wash root, shave off root bark, dry in warm, shaded area with good circulation. It is decocted or made into tincture.

Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
Germinates quite easy (fresh seed immediately, dried about 3 weeks). It loves rich soil, cool, moist places. The root is harvested just before flowering in the second year. The seeds are also sometimes used, therefore harvest both at the same time. Cut root from stem, split lengthwise and dry on screens, with forced air. Not to be dried in direct sun.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Can be sown direct in early spring or in flats. It produces large flower heads in 60 - 90 days. Harvesting is best in late morning after dew is gone, as flowers are at their prime at this point in time. You can get several harvests often.

Chamomile (Matricara recutita) German camomile
Can be started in a green house, but will self seed year after year, is quite hardy. Pick after flowering and the cone elongates. Pick flowers off stems almost daily. Dry in shade. It can be harvested by hand, or combine, but the most common method is with a Chamomile comb, similar to American cranberry rakes.

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Start as a seedling, planting out in June, producing a few seed heads as an annual, best as biennial. Makes a good barrier plant.