| VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3 FALL 1994
SEED AVAILABILITY INFORMATION
Seed for the '95 planting season is in reasonable supply. There are somewhat limited supplies of Kaw big bluestem, Cave-in-Rock switchgrass and Aldous little bluestem. You may have to accept a substitute for any of these named varieties. This year native little bluestem is actually better quality seed than the varieties. Indiangrass is in fair supply, some varieties
may be limited. Sideoats grama, a majority of which is produced by one seed company, supplies are normal. Mixtures with PLS ranging from 50 to 65 percent will be available at very competitive pricing. Expect to pay a premium for high quality seed with a PLS of 80 percent or more. Though overall supplies are down slightly, prices should only be marginally higher than last year. Demand continues to be steady for native warm season grasses.
Depending upon the species, wildflower seed prices are variable this year. The prices for the more common species which are commercially produced will hold steady to slightly higher. Black-eyed Susan, Liatris pycnostachya, Illinois bundle flower, partridge pea, maximilian sunflower, purple prairie clover, purple coneflower, pitcher's sage are some of those. Three seeds usually produced commercially; pale purple coneflower, butterfly milkweed and grayhead prairie coneflower, did not produce well this year. There is quite a bit of pale purple coneflower available from wild harvests, but the prices are higher than for commercially produced seed. Butterfly milkweed is in very short supply this year, as it has been for 3 years now and therefore, if you can find it, extremely expensive. Small quantities, 1 ounce or less, are available. Grayhead coneflower, for the second year, did not fill well. Limited supplies are available.
There is a big demand on wildflower seed now. Most of the less common seeds are higher, some as much as two times higher than last year. A majority of those seeds come from wild harvests. As a result of the increased demand there have been a number of "Mom & Pop" seed suppliers show up. Be cautious. Most wildflower seed is sold without a test. An inexperienced seed producer, not knowingly, could be selling trash. A good example is grayhead coneflower. It produced an abundance of seed this year but the endosperm of the seed did not develop. To the inexperienced, it would appear as good seed. Buyer beware!
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