Seed Mixes | MN Board of Water, Soil Resources

State agencies have created standard restoration and conservation seed mixes that can be used for projects (many native seed vendors can supply these mixes). Below are lists of current “State Seed Mixes” that have been in use since 2009.

Also listed are “Pilot Seed Mixes” that were developed to expand the use of native plant species for a variety of landscapes, and provide “model” mixes for projects that can be adapted for specific site conditions. These mixes are in a testing phase where we are looking for opportunities to work with partners to test their effectiveness on projects to guide future updates.

Partners also include collaboration among Non-profits, Seed vendors, SWCD, Tribal Governments, Consultants, County and Cities.

Note: cover crops are included in the mixes, so additional cover crops are not typically needed unless additional stabilization is necessary for projects (such as steep slopes).

Note: Many state seed mixes have been updated in April of 2024 with many of them having updated numbers.

Seed mix information

Minnesota Seed Mix Information Sheet Links
Title	Label	Seed mix category	Seed mix purpose	Seed mix region	Info Sheet Download Links
Mesic Short Urban Buffer South & West		Pilot Seed Mix	Buffers	South & West	Microsoft Word
Mesic Short Urban Buffer Northeast		Pilot Seed Mix	Buffers	Northeast	Microsoft Word
Sand Mine Reclamation South & West		Pilot Seed Mix	Sand Mine Reclamation	South & West	Microsoft Word
Honey Bee Plot Native Non-Native General (Under Revision)		Pilot Seed Mix		Statewide	Microsoft Word
Stormwater Pond Pollinator Northeast		Pilot Seed Mix		Northeast	Microsoft Word
Forest Groundcover East (Under Revision)		Pilot Seed Mix	Forest Groundcover	East	Microsoft Word
Silvopasture Southeast		Pilot Seed Mix	Conservation Grazing	Southeast	Microsoft Word
Conservation Grazing South & West		Pilot Seed Mix	Conservation Grazing	South & West	Microsoft Word
Dry Short Urban Buffer General		Pilot Seed Mix	Buffers	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Shallow Rooted BMP Mix General (Under Revision)		Pilot Seed Mix	Shallow Rooted BMPs	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Compacted Trail General		Pilot Seed Mix	Trail	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Oats Cover Crop	21-111	Current State Seed Mix	Cover Crops	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Winter Wheat Cover Crop	21-112	Current State Seed Mix	Cover Crops	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Soil Building Cover Crop	21-113	Current State Seed Mix	Cover Crops	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Wetland Seedbank Release	31-271	Current State Seed Mix	Wetland	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Eroding Bank Stabilization Northwest and South	32-221	Pilot Seed Mix	Erosion	Northwest & South	Microsoft Word
Mid Diversity Mesic to Dry Buffer South & West	32-231	Current State Seed Mix	Buffers	South & West	Microsoft Word
Native Forage Buffer Mix South & West	32-232	Current State Seed Mix	Buffers	South & West	Microsoft Word
Native Construction	32-242	Current State Seed Mix	Native Construction	Statewide	Microsoft Word
Low Diversity Buffer General	32-243	Current State Seed Mix	Buffers	Statewide	Microsoft Word

Contact

Dan Shaw

Senior Ecologist/Vegetation Specialist

612-236-6291

dan.shaw@state.mn.us

Need to Know

This calculator has been designed as a tool to aid the comparing of native seed (and plant) bids that follow the BWSR Native Vegetation Establishment and Enhancement Guidelines.

NRCS Seed Calculators

For many BWSR funded conservation projecs such as for the RIM program, NRCS seed calculators are commonly used to develop custom seed mixes. These seed calculators can be found on this NRCS webpage

State Seed Mix Contract

Contract number S-915-5 is the state seed blending contract for Minnesota. State agencies can use this contract for ordering seed as well as local government partners that are part of the state’s cooperative venture program.