Harvesting Seeds

**welderguy** · 08-17-2013, 07:01 PM

Is there a time limit for replanting your saved seeds, I still have some from 2 years ago. I haven't had good luck with my saved seeds, last year I planted 50 percent of my garden with my saved seeds and if i was lucky maybe 25% grew.
The other 50% was already sprouted not seeds and that did fine.

**Rick** · 08-17-2013, 07:20 PM

I have seeds that are 4, 5 and 6 years old. The key is to keep them cool and away from moisture. A refrigerator is perfect for that. I have one in the garage and that's where I store them. I have direct sowed things like lettuce and spinach, beans and peas. Most items I plant in starters early so I know if I have a germination problem or not. As the seeds get older I plant more together. When they are new I might plant 2 or 3 seeds together then thin out to the strongest plant. On the older seeds I will plant 5 or 6 together. If a get 4 or 5 plants then I try to transplant some. I hope that made sense.

**welderguy** · 08-17-2013, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

I have seeds that are 4, 5 and 6 years old. The key is to keep them cool and away from moisture. A refrigerator is perfect for that. I have one in the garage and that's where I store them. I have direct sowed things like lettuce and spinach, beans and peas. Most items I plant in starters early so I know if I have a germination problem or not. As the seeds get older I plant more together. When they are new I might plant 2 or 3 seeds together then thin out to the strongest plant. On the older seeds I will plant 5 or 6 together. If a get 4 or 5 plants then I try to transplant some. I hope that made sense.

That does make sense, I am going to try and start more next season so I don't have to play wait and wonder if they will grow again.

**Rick** · 08-17-2013, 07:38 PM

I've never had a problem with mixed lettuce germinating. Even the oldest seeds seem to do fine. I always plant on valentines day whether there is snow on the ground or not. I just spread the seed right on top the snow and when the ground is warm enough .... Lettuce!

**welderguy** · 08-17-2013, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

I've never had a problem with mixed lettuce germinating. Even the oldest seeds seem to do fine. I always plant on valentines day whether there is snow on the ground or not. I just spread the seed right on top the snow and when the ground is warm enough .... Lettuce!

WOW, didn't realise lettuce seeds will do that, I know watermelon and cantaloupe will , Thats good to know.

**Rick** · 08-17-2013, 07:43 PM

spinach and radishes will work well doing that too. I generally sow all three at the same time. Radishes are a bit more sensitive but unless the rest of the winter is extremely cold they do fine.

**Rick** · 08-17-2013, 07:44 PM

If you think about it most wild plants drop seeds in the fall and they lay on the ground over winter and germinate the next spring. So it's nothing the plants don't do in the wild. I'm just dropping the seeds in the middle of winter instead of fall.

**nell67** · 08-17-2013, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by welderguy

Is there a time limit for replanting your saved seeds, I still have some from 2 years ago. I haven't had good luck with my saved seeds, last year I planted 50 percent of my garden with my saved seeds and if i was lucky maybe 25% grew.
The other 50% was already sprouted not seeds and that did fine.

I was given a massive amount of seeds 8 or 9 years ago ,from a seed company (local) that had shut down. They had been closed for 2 years when I got the seed, I sold a lot of them cheap,cheap to people in the area,and kept all my favorite seeds,in paper bags in the freezer,not in plastic. I had a very good success rate with planting those seed,even 5 years after I got them. How you keep the is a big factor in their survival.

**Cast-Iron** · 08-17-2013, 08:44 PM

I've got seeds in the freezer that are at least 10 years old. Much of what I planted this year was at least 3 year old seed. The longer you keep seeds the lower the germination rate. So you may need to double plant. Seed I plan to use pretty quick stays in a "cubby hole" in the fridge. Stuff I may not get around to for a while goes in the freezer. I planted some yellow squash this year that is several years old. EVERY seed germinated, don't ask me I had to thin quite a few?

@WG.......In response to your earlier post. It's not that your carrots will look or taste like beets. But there are documented cases that should be raising the alarm. Pigs and cattle fed GMO corn started to develop bizarre reproductive and digestive disorders:

http://www.nationofchange.org/first-...-results-13723

U.S. law only requires a 90 day study on the effects to animals consuming GMO foods. However, in a two-year study published in Europe, the mice/rats had much higher incident rates for cancer, larger tumors, and lower life spans than the control group:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...modified-foods

Additionally Monsanto is now working to alter and patent every commercially viable plant from our food chain to our home's landscape. Executives from Monsanto are also part of the rotation of personnel between the public and private sectors. This almost assures the ability for them to direct the policies they intend to exploit and profit from. Kind of like the fox guarding the henhouse. I had a hard time understanding the success of Whole Foods until I delved into the GMO debate. There's too much we don't know and most industrialized nations have either banned GMOs or require labeling at a minimum. Unfortunately, the U.S. isn't one of those countries.

**gohammergo** · 08-17-2013, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

I've seeded carrots as well. You're right, they make a ton. It takes two years to seed carrots. They don't flower the first year but come right back up the second and produce seeds. Just make certain you don't have hybrid carrots. That would be pretty disappointing to wait 2 years and not have any viable seeds. You can refrigerate the seeds in something moisture proof like a jelly jar.

That's right. We did wait until the second year for seeds!

**Winnie** · 08-21-2013, 04:24 AM

I have a bunch of Nasturtium seeds drying out at the moment. They are one of the easiest to collect and dry.
They were such a success at keeping away the slugs and aphids from the more attactive (to slugs and aphids) veggie plants that I am going to be growing a lot more next year, The flowers were pretty good in a salad too. I want to have a go at pickling the seed next year as well.