Hand Collection
Many wild land plants are best collected by hand. Simple tools can increase the amount you are able to collect.
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Materials:
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Berry rake
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Scissors (for herbaceous plants)
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Pruning shears
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Pole with rubber hook
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Pole pruners
When we are collecting seed from the wild we often don't have the luxury of collecting from monocultures, where the terrain is flat and easy to walk through. For most of us, it is also unlikely we have a combine or other mechanical harvestor for collecting grass seed. The list of tools and containers here are inexpensive, simple to use and can improve the efficiency of harvesting from wild plant populations.
Wild Seed Collection
Collection Containers
Keep in mind where and what you are collecting.
Is the collection bulky?
Is the seed or fruit found low to the ground?
Would having your hand's free improve your ability to collect?
Materials:
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Sheets
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Paper leaf bags
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Baskets
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Trays
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Hand's free collection container
Collecting from trees
Collecting from trees is challenging because the seed or fruit is often concentrated at the top and is out of reach. There are a few options for harvesting from these plants, however some may kill the tree and should only be used when appropriate.
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1. Collect from young trees using a pole and hook. You can bend a tree with approximately 15cm diameter or less, or pull branches into reach.
2. Use a pole pruner to trim lower hanging branches with seed.
3. Cut down the tree. Good to partner with someone collecting firewood or from a lumber stand, of course the timing of cutting and collecting have to match.
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Materials:
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Pole with a hook
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Pole pruner
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Saw or chain saw
Mechanical equipment
A couple mechanized pieces of equipment may be useful for increasing collection quantities.
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Materials:
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Reverse leaf blower ($150 to $300 CAN)
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Mechanical seed harvestor ($2500 CAN)
Reducing losses with netting
If berry bushes are highly productive or the fruit doesn't ripen all at once, it may be worthwhile to cover them with netting. This will stop birds and other animals from eating their fruit and provide you with a larger window for collecting the ripe fruit.
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If the plant you are collecting from has capsules that burst open to release their seed, it can also be a challenge to collect them on time. Wrapping netting around the capsules in a similar way can capture the seed that may be release before you can collect it.
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Materials:
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Mosquito netting or something similar, that allows some light in
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Flagging tape or string to tie netting to the plant
Collecting seed along the Attawapiskat River shoreline.