NEWS

Update 33: Starting the 2026 spring season

A cycle without a beginning or end

As you know by now, our work doesn’t really have a clear beginning or end. It’s more of an ongoing cycle that began years ago, rooted in the rhythms of nature. Still, if we had to choose a starting point, it would be with the seeds.

Seed collection

Late last September and again in February, Imer, our dedicated local coordinator in Lurë, and a team of five workers gathered impressive quantities of cones: 100 kg of Black pine (Pishë e zezë), 106 kg of Silver fir (Bredh), 17 kg of Macedonian pine (Arnen), and 5 kg of Bosnian pine (Rrobull). This year, unfortunately, wasn’t great for Bosnian pine, as most cones turned out empty. Our collection focuses on seeds from 30-50 year-old mother trees growing at elevations of 1,300-1,400 meters.

We were able to get 12kg of Quercus robur (Dushk) seeds for free from the Pukë region, and we’ll plant and test this new species in our tree nurseries.

We also purchased 3.2 kg of Silver fir (Bredh) seeds from a young collector in Lubonjë, to test the Korçë region’s seeds and see if we can work together in the future.

The cleaning process

While Black pine (Pishë e zezë) and Bosnian pine (Rrobull) cones open in the spring sun in Lurë, we transported Silver fir (Bredh) and Macedonian pine (Arnen) cones to Tirana for cleaning, sorting, and stratification, since these species need more time than the others. The cleaning machine we built last year based on the plans from RealSeeds with our carpenter friend Albi has become a great tool for quickly and efficiently cleaning and sorting our seeds.

Each species is different and therefore their seeds require specific handling throughout the seed journey from the tree to the tree nursery. Over the years we developed specific protocols for each species making the whole process more effective, consistent and much more enjoyable.

Quality control and stratification

After cleaning, we rigorously test samples from each batch, analyzing weight, viability, and visual traits. It’s a meticulous process, but the data it provides is invaluable to our nursery production each year. Stratifying the Macedonian pine (Arnen) and Silver fir (Bredh) seeds is underway, while Black pine (Pishë e zezë) and Bosnian pine (Rrobull) cones slowly open in the Lurë sun, preparing for the next steps.

Spring tasks and optimism

With spring now upon us, our to-do list is long and exciting: ordering more trays, planting seeds in Lurë and Voskopojë, making new organic fertiliser for both nurseries, brewing new organic fertiliser, and setting up the automatic irrigation systems again. There’s much to do, but we’re motivated by the progress so far and the promise of what’s ahead.

Here’s to another season of growth, wish us luck!