2025 PPA National Symposium

Directly sowing custom seed mixes is an affordable, efficient, and sustainable approach to establishing vegetation in urban areas. However, empirical studies on direct sown vegetation systems in urban contexts are limited, especially in semi-arid climate regions. Despite having access to a wide variety of plants due to the relative ease of obtaining seeds compared to potted or rooted plants, establishing vegetation from seed is often viewed as having limited feasibility because of perceived low aesthetic value, challenges in maintaining optimal conditions for seed germination, and management issues. Michael will present experiments and case studies that evaluate the feasibility of installing vegetation systems from seed, specifically examining seed mix parameters, site preparation, and soil conditions necessary to support highly-diverse, ecologically valuable vegetation.