Xref: kermit rec.gardens.edible:72097

Hello everyone
This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

The remaining seeds were sealed up, and were kept in a dry place in the
basement.

"Don B" wrote:

This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

Year-old dill ought to be just fine. If you grew dill last year, look for
seedlings where you had it.... it isn't called Dill "Weed" for nothin'!

Peace,


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Xref: kermit rec.gardens.edible:72105


"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
"Don B" wrote:

This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still
have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

Year-old dill ought to be just fine. If you grew dill last year, look for
seedlings where you had it.... it isn't called Dill "Weed" for nothin'!

Tkx Gary for your comment, but I was not referring to dill weed what so
ever. I was referring to all my kitchen vegetables...ie cucumbers,
green/yellow beans, snow peas, and radishes.

P.S. As far as what zone I am in...I haven't a clue. I'm in Ottawa, Ont
Canada.

On Sun, 30 May 2004 11:48:46 GMT, "Don B" wrote:

Hello everyone
This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

The remaining seeds were sealed up, and were kept in a dry place in the
basement.

I'm a real gardening newbie but these types of questions always get a
chuckle out of me. I remember as a teenager finding out that some of
seeds put in with the pharaohs still sprouted after a few millenia.
At least in this regard, I never worry about seeds. Some sprouted,
some didn't. g

I find it so neat that nature always manages to find a way ... g

On Sun, 30 May 2004 15:51:33 GMT, "Don B" wrote:


"Gary Woods" wrote in message
.. .
"Don B" wrote:

This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still
have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

Year-old dill ought to be just fine. If you grew dill last year, look for
seedlings where you had it.... it isn't called Dill "Weed" for nothin'!

Tkx Gary for your comment, but I was not referring to dill weed what so
ever. I was referring to all my kitchen vegetables...ie cucumbers,
green/yellow beans, snow peas, and radishes.

P.S. As far as what zone I am in...I haven't a clue. I'm in Ottawa, Ont
Canada.

Hey, me too, I'm from Ottawa! g

Difference is that I'm growing indoors. g

I'm going to try growing things on the balcony but that makes for a
short season for me, too. I live in a bachelor apt and the conditions
were never good so herbs/veggies never thrived beyond a week or two.
I bought a shelving unit from Ikea last summer and recently was able
to add fix up 2 fluorescent units and my herbs have for the first time
flourished! I wish I had a little 4x8 piece of land, but this will
do! g And at least I'll have, I hope, some lettuces and herbs and
spinach throughout the year at all times. g

In article
s.com,
says...
Hello everyone
This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

Somewhere I saw a list of which varieties lasted for how many
years, but I don't know where. It does vary, but all are good
for more than one year.

For seeds you start in pots, do what I do. The first year I put
2 or 3 seeds in each starter pot. The next year 3 or 4. The
next year 4 or 5. By then I'm usually out of seeds, but if not
I continue to use 4 or 5. So far, I've never had a pot where
nothing came up :-).

What am I talking about? Tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers,
lettuce, spinach, orach, arugula, basil, etc..

And yes, you can start lettuce and spinach in pots if you put
them out as soon as they get true leaves.

Seeds sown direct, peas, beans, radishes, etc., I usually buy
new each year.

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

"Don B" wrote:


Tkx Gary for your comment, but I was not referring to dill weed what so
ever. I was referring to all my kitchen vegetables...ie cucumbers,
green/yellow beans, snow peas, and radishes.

My old brain must have been in a "pickle!"
The Organic Gardening Encyclopedia has a "longevity of seeds" list
somewhere' most everything is good for at least 2 years. I germination
tested a bunch of my stored stuff, and the pickling cuke seed that I grew
several years ago was still 100%.
Having said that, you may note that the packets say "Packed for XXXX," and
with a stated germination percentage for that year. The seed may actually
be older.
Unless your livelihood depends on it, just plant the seeds....


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Don B wrote:
...............As far as what zone I am in...I haven't a clue. I'm in Ottawa, Ont
Canada.

About the same as here in the central Adirondacks, zone 4.
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html

Steve

fitwell wrote:

.......... I remember as a teenager finding out that some of
seeds put in with the pharaohs still sprouted after a few millenia.................

Yeah, those were supposed to be lotus seeds, as I recall. It never
happened. Years later it was looked into and it turned out to be an
urban legend. Bummer.

Steve

Oh, I don't know what to think now. I just spent a few minutes
trying to find an article about lotus seeds not lasting thousands of
years and all I find are people saying that they DO last for
centuries. Example:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scite...ard020314.html
I'm really curious now. I would look more but I have things to do.

Steve



Steve wrote:


Yeah, those were supposed to be lotus seeds, as I recall. It never
happened. Years later it was looked into and it turned out to be an
urban legend. Bummer.

Steve

"Don B" wrote:
Tkx Gary for your comment, but I was not referring to dill weed what so
ever. I was referring to all my kitchen vegetables...ie cucumbers,
green/yellow beans, snow peas, and radishes.

Reasonably stored, most seeds will last at least a year.

P.S. As far as what zone I am in...I haven't a clue. I'm in Ottawa, Ont
Canada.

You'll find zones for Canada he
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I57625F68
or, for Ottawa:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2A651F68

Looks like you're 5a
Ross,
Ontario, Canada.
New AgCanada Zone 5b
43º19' North
80º16' West

On Sun, 30 May 2004 11:48:46 GMT, "Don B" wrote:

Hello everyone
This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

The remaining seeds were sealed up, and were kept in a dry place in the
basement.


They *might* work. It is as much reliant on storage conditions as
seed variety.

The *only* way to find out is to try. Count out 5-10 seeds, damp
them on a couple paper towels. If they all sprout you have 100%
germination. If 1 in 10 does, then you have 10% germination.

Sound like too much work? Buy a new pack for a dollar.

Jim

On Sun, 30 May 2004 15:59:55 +0000, fitwell wrote:

...I remember as a teenager finding out that some of
seeds put in with the pharaohs still sprouted after a few millenia.

I have read that this story is one of those folktales or urban legends or
whatever they might be called. I know that frozen seeds can last that
long, but I am unaware of a seed of an ordinary plant remaining viable for
that long when not frozen.

In article ,
Joe Williamson wrote:

On Sun, 30 May 2004 15:59:55 +0000, fitwell wrote:

...I remember as a teenager finding out that some of
seeds put in with the pharaohs still sprouted after a few millenia.

I have read that this story is one of those folktales or urban legends or
whatever they might be called. I know that frozen seeds can last that
long, but I am unaware of a seed of an ordinary plant remaining viable for
that long when not frozen.


Some of the beans from the Aztec burial mounds have grown, they were
about 2,000 years old. But, beans are kinda tough. ;-) None of the corn
sprouted. Or so the legend said that came with these seeds...

I have some large beans that look like scarlet runners, only MUCH
larger, that are supposed to be descendants of that line. They are
different from any other bean I've grown. :-)

I've asked 'Lou to re-send me the "legend" that she sent me with the
beans, and I'll post it as soon as she e-mails me.

They are lovely, but I've just been growing them for seed the past
couple of years. I've not eaten any yet. Average size of the beans are
about 1" x 1/2" and they are about 1/4" thick in the center.

They are HUGE!

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Don B said:

Hello everyone
This is my second year working on my little garden (4x8), and I still have
some seeds from last year. My question is should I plant using the old
seeds, or purchase new ones?

Parsnip seeds absolutely should be fresh. Onion seeds are much better fresh.
Most other seeds are good for at least two years. Very old seed will have a lower
germination rate and sometimes the seedlings are weak and puny.

LONGEVITY OF VEGETABLE SEED (from an old 4-H pamphlet)

1 YEAR: onion, parsnips

2 YEARS: sweet corn

3 YEARS: beans, carrots, peas

4 YEARS: beets, cabbage, pumpkins, squash. tomatoes, turnips

5 OR MORE YEARS: cress, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)