Native Seed Propagation Workshop

Would you like to know how to propagate your own native plants to grow in your forest? If you’re interested in the biology of plants, would like to know how to do it yourself, and are interested in enhancing wildlife habitat, this is a perfect chance!

This workshop is a combination of learning the biology behind propagation and hands on experience cleaning many different types of fruit. You’ll learn:

• How to clean fleshy fruit like Flowering Redcurrant, Serviceberry, Snowberry, Red Osier Dogwood and Twinberry
• Learn the fleshy fermentation process
• How to clean dry fruit like Pacific Ninebark and Douglas Spirea
• How to ripen cones
• How to clean seeds from Valley Ponderosa Pine, Western Redcedar, Noble Fir, and Western White Pine
• When it’s best to buy seed and when it’s helpful to pick your own
• How to store seed
• How to pretreat and overcome dormancy in seed to get it ready for sowing

You’re welcome to bring your own collected native fruit or work with what we’ve been busy collecting all summer. You will take home some of all provided seed and obtain propagation protocols to know how to grow all on your own.

For more information about the workshop or if you wish to bring in your own collected native fruit to clean, please contact Sarah Cameron, so we can ensure we review best cleaning practices for all species prior to the workshop: [email protected] or (503) 655-8631.

Registration is required. Teens and older are welcome to attend, but if less than 18, must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is $30 per person, which includes lunch and all workshop materials. Register online or by contacting Jean: [email protected] or (503) 655-8631.

Instructor: Jen Gorski received a Master’s in Forestry from Oregon State University. She owned and operated a plant nursery where most of the species were propagated on site. She taught Propagation classes and other Horticulture classes as an adjunct instructor at Clackamas Community College. She is currently a forester for Window in the Fence Forestry LLC and serves as the chairperson of the Portland Chapter of the Society of American Foresters.