Seedlings
We specialize in growing western conifers from woods run or orchard seed.
We partner with customers of all levels of expertise, working closely with you to understand your final planting plan and help target your seedling order to maximize your planting success. Through this hands-on process each crop is tailored for its final destination, whether that is a traditional plug, paper plug, or bareroot seedling.
Seed
We help you get the seed you need.
We work with partners across the nation and internationally to get the specific species and seed zone needed for your project. Our seedbank is 100% customer focused. We test for purity, germination rate, and moisture content, and ensure that your seed is properly stored. Our goal is to provide the right seed when you need it.
Cone
Every year we process thousands of bushels of cone from orchard or wild collections.
We have the capacity to process additional cone through the season, and would love the opportunity to show you our cone processing capabilities. If you are interested in scouting, identifying or collecting cone on your land, we can help with that too.
Reforestation
Silvaseed is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mast Reforestation, the nation’s only vertically integrated reforestation carbon credit project developer. For more information on Mast’s no-cost reforestation options please visit our website.
Our Process
When you engage with Silvaseed you will be on-boarded by one of our expert team members. We want to know about your planting site so we can get the best seed or seedlings for your project. We’ll work with you to design a custom sow order with the right mix of species and stocktypes. Seedlings can be grown with your seed or seed we source from our inventory. Be sure to reach out early if you need seed - cone and seed collection only happens in the fall! Sow orders are finalized by November 15th with the option for delivery the following year or two years out depending on stocktype. We’ll stratify your seed between October - January and cultivate the seedlings in our greenhouses from February - September. Your crop will be carefully monitored throughout the growing season, and you’ll get regular updates about your seedlings’ growth and health. We harden the seedlings in the fall so they can be ready for fall planting on sites where it’s feasible. All other seedlings are packed and prepared for cold storage, where they can remain until spring planting. This timeline can be flexible depending on your specific needs.
Our Story
Silvaseed (then known as the Manning Seed Company) was founded in 1871 by Charles H. Manning and his sons. In 1888 the seed extractory was built on the site in which it still stands today in Roy, Washington. Manning and his sons founded the business by collecting cone and seed from western forests and shipping them across countries and continents for use in planting projects.
Recognizing the importance of seed origin in the establishment of healthy forests, in 1949 the company created the concept of the seed zones to track the origin of seed. Today, foresters nationwide use this system to identify seed zones.
The Gerdes family purchased the Manning Seed Company in 1966 after two generations of family members had worked in and managed the company. They changed the name to Silvaseed Company in 1968 from the Latin silva meaning tree. The Gerdes brothers, Mike and David, managed the seed company and expanded it to larger nursery operations over many decades. They experimented with broadcast seeding, spreading seed from a helicopter over wildfire-devastated areas, in addition to their seed and seedling operations.
When Mike and David Gerdes were ready to retire in 2021 they sold the company to DroneSeed (now Mast Reforestation) to carry on the legacy of post-wildfire reforestation.
