Encourage Re-seeding

Plants in their natural setting always propagate in some way, often by reseeding. You can do the same thing with many perennials. If you want your perennials to re-seed, don't deadhead them.

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  • Topic: Perennials
  • Author: By Mary Ann Walz
  • Keywords: seed, propagate, reseeding, re-seed, seed heads, seedlings, perennial seeds
  • Date: August 2006

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Plants in their natural setting always propagate in some way, often by reseeding. You can do the same thing with many perennials. If you want your perennials to re-seed, don’t deadhead them. Allow the seed heads to mature and turn brown. Once brown, they can be cut and set on the ground or the seeds shaken out.

Methods

There are several ways to encourage re-seeding:

  • One is to use gravel mulch. The mature seeds fall into the gravel, making it difficult for birds or other creatures to find them. The gravel creates a moist environment which maintains a more constant temperature that is ideal for propagation. Perennials that are particularly fond of this method include most Penstemon, Aquilegia, Hymenoxys, Ratibida and Agastache.
  • If you’re not fond of gravel mulch, you can top dress the perennial bed with compost or organic mulch. This helps with reseeding but it’s not quite as effective at hiding the seeds from birds and small animals.
  • Another way is to leave the soil bare. Scratch it around the reseeding plants to create a seed bed. This way you’re duplicating nature.

Time

Don’t expect to see any baby plants the first growing season after you plant the parent perennials. You’ll often have to wait until the following spring or summer. Some seeds need a period of cold stratification (being outside during the winter) to help them germinate.

Suggestion

If you encourage perennials to re-seed, you’ll have lots of baby plants to start new beds or give to friends. But don’t forget to keep some of the baby plants for yourself. Some mature plants are short lived such as Penstemon, Aquilegia, Coreopsis and Tanacetum niveum and need to be replaced. Volunteer seedlings are the answer.