Front Range Seed Analysts
1993 Seed Forum Volume 7 Number 3
ASCO Seed Laboratory Inc.
5380 Vivian Street, Arvada, CO 80002 USA
APPLEWOOD SEED COMPANY/ASCO LABORATORY
Applewood Seed Company has been selling products to the gift and garden markets since the early 1960's, when president and founder Gene Milstein began to collect seeds of wildflowers in the Colorado mountains. Today, Gene and his wife Dee, operate a nationally known company that employs 48 people and sells to over 25,000 retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Seed testing has always been part of Applewood. Originally seeds were hand collected by Gene and Dee and then grown and tested at their home. As the company grew, the complexity of products expanded, and the number of types of seeds sold increased, the need for a trained seed analyst became evident.
The first Applewood analyst was Barbara Atkins who began testing in July of 1978. At this time she was testing indoor plants, ornamentals, and wildflowers. Later sprouting seeds and the famous Snack Sacks for Cats were added. In 1980 Barbara left Applewood to start her own seed testing company, but she continued to test seeds for Applewood for another three years.
Cecilia Warrick arrived on the Applewood scene in 1983. Now there were more new products most notably the Mini-Meadows in a can and Tamed Wildflowers. Cecilia helped to bring the laboratory into the computer age. She also did an immense amount of work on wildflower seed weights that were then used to add species to the AOSA Rules for Seed Testing. Cecilia left Applewood in 1989 to pursue a career in nursing.
Jane Hall began to learn the ropes of wildflower seed testing from Cecilia in October of 1989 and took over the laboratory responsibilities in January of 1990. Each year since 1990 the lab has increased the number of tests run. In 1992, 1995 tests were processed. It helps that Billie McKenney is a valuable assistant in germination evaluation and planting. Responsibilities of the lab include the purity and germination testing of all incoming seed lots received, retesting on an on going basis of all packets and bulk lots, quality control testing of packets and outside testing for several Colorado seed companies. Although Applewood is best known for wildflowers, many kinds of seeds are sold. There is an extensive herb line, ornamentals, edible flowers, selected tree seed, and many mixes used for roadside plantings and landscape use.
Unlike many other gift manufactures utilizing seeds in their products, Applewood is, first and foremost, a seed company.