Seed gathering A great variety of British trees and shrubs can be found at nurseries and garden centres, but have you ever thought of growing trees from seed? With a few tips you can grow trees at home whether you have a windowsill, garden or a country park.

In this article

Gathering seeds Prepare your seeds

Stratifying your seeds Sowing your seeds

Planting your tree

1. Gather seeds in the autumn when the fruits are ripe.
2. Use a tree guide to identify the trees that you're taking seed from. Roughly, tree seeds come in four main groups: nuts (such as acorns), fleshy fruits, winged seeds (for instance ash), and cones (such as Scot’s pine).
3. Use a paper or cotton bag to collect seeds in - plastic bags will trap too much moisture - and label each bag with the names of the seeds gathered.
4. Pick your seeds from the ground or lowest branches - do not climb the trees - and use gloves for spiky shrubs.
5. Choose seeds from trees that are growing in your area - seeds from trees far away and in different conditions may not do so well.

Fruits: remove the fleshy parts from around the seeds.

Cones: dry out in a paper bag - not in direct heat - the cone will open and release its seed.

Nuts: use a bucket of water to separate casings and cups, and discard any nuts that float. Some nuts such as beech, walnut and hazel need to be stratified to encourage germination before sowing.

Winged seeds must be removed from twigs and branches and can be planted with their wings on.

Stratification is a technique designed to mimic nature by exposing seeds to the cold of at least one winter. You can stratify your seeds by mixing one part peat free compost, one part bark chips, sand or grit, and one part seeds in a pot, bucket or dustbin, then cover with mesh and place outside. Check the seeds regularly in spring to see if any have germinated and need potting on - some seeds can need two winters!

Sow your seeds in a suitable container for example a drink carton, plant pot, or outside seedbed, and protect from water-logging and extreme weather.

Once your seedling is big enough to handle, it can be planted out. See our gardening techniques section for a step by step guide.