In-house production for native origin wild flowers from DLF In order to meet with the increasing demand for conservation mixtures, DLF have formulated the Pro Flora range of high quality wild flower mixtures, each designed to recreate a particular habitat – including wetland or dry grassland mixtures, and mixtures composed specifically for acid soils, coastal areas and shaded spots. DLF have recently moved their wildflower production to their UK head office in Inkberrow. This move back to head office means all aspects of the business including production, sales and mixing facilities have been connected – all while offering an impressive facility for customers to come and visit. Overseeing the in-house production is Wild Flower Production Manager, Klaas Vincent Broersma and Wild Flower Assistant Manager Charlie Bex. Continual investments in equipment, seed cleaning equipment and seed storage have allowed DLF to scale up to 30 hectares of wild flower seed production at Inkberrow, with close to 50 different species grown on site. This ensures DLF can continue to produce the cleanest and highest quality seed mixtures. Seed traceability, seed purity and seed viability remain key focus points for production. To ensure traceability and keep the wildflowers as close to their wild origins as possible, DLF collect seed samples from established meadows and undisturbed sites. This is done in collaboration with the help of local farmers and landowners who are seeing the benefits of the work DLF does with nature. This method of seed collection has facilitated the creation of a traceable seed library, retaining the details and wild genetics of the wildflower seeds. After collecting the samples, the seed is multiplied where trials can then take place to assess the viability of the plants and understand their growing habits. With the fresh seed harvested from these experimental areas, 4
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