Preparing Rowan berries for planting

Each Rowan berry contains a couple of small seeds that need some preparation before they can be sowed in Spring. Pounding the berries gently till the seeds separate from the flesh is a little time consuming, but nonetheless satisfying. The pulp then gets strained to remove as much of the flesh as possible, leaving the seeds behind. This gets mixed with soil and left in pots exposed to the winter cold. In Spring, around March, we will check for germination and they will get planted in seedling beds where they will continue to grow until they are big enough to be donated to their forever homes.

Rowan fact: Rowan can absorb a lot of water, making it a great tree - together with willow - to dry out land.