A question about seeds!

[murray hill farm]

Anyone know how long seeds can be saved? I know that most seed packages are for the following year after harvest, but can they be also be used the following years? Also, I keep hearing about seeds now that are genetically modified so that they only grow once...and seeds produced do not grow...anyone know about that one? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks, Pat

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Seeds have various shelf lives.

With many if the seeds have been kept in a cool, dry place they'll still germinate for years. A good rule of thumb is 3 years. Most will have at least some germination for that period. What I do with old seed is plant more seeds closer together in anticipation of a lower germination rate. I've had some flowers germinate from seeds that were more than five years old.

With edibles, peppers, lettuce, and eggplant seed tend to have shorter shelf lives (1-2 years) and tomato seeds last a bit longer. I have a chart for veggies in a book (not online, unfortunately) but there are probably places to find similar info on line.


The other issue you raised, genetically modified seeds, I don't know how common those are in the supply of seeds targeted for the home gardener. This site compiles articles on GE foods and may be helpful:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm

[NJCher]

2. I was going to write this out but

Why should I when this blogger already has:

http://www.yougrowgirl.com/grow/seed_test.php

Actually, I use this technique to sprout my seeds for spring planting. When they've germinated, I tuck them right into the seed flat or the ground.

This is also a fun thing to do about this time of year, when we're all starved for growing things.



Cher

[ruiner4u]

3. My method for saving seeds...

I buy weird and uncommon seeds off the internet...And last fall I started saving rose and crepe Myrtle <sp>...

I store seed packs in a tight plastic box and but that in the bottom crisper in the fridge.. I also use old Rx bottles for seeds that need to be cold stratified <If you dont know what that means, google it.. Certain trees, shrubs, and uncommon plants need this method in order to trigger germination.

I check my little 'seed bank' every few weeks to make sure nothings rotting or germinating and ive never had a problem with this...

Just be sure to keep that crisper drawer for seeds only.. no meats, produce, and defiantly no cheese...

Seeds are a lot more resilient then we give them credit for.. 2000 year old tree seeds that were found by archaeologists have germinated.. The trick is to just keep em airtight, cool, and out of light..

Hope that helps...

edit-typo

[Kolesar]

5. I wonder if there is some dessicant I can buy

I put socks full of baking soda in with the tubs of clothes I packed for the summer. I think this is different. A lot different

[susanna]

6. I have a basement cabinet against an outside cinderblock wall

and that's where I store my seeds (I'm in Michigan). That keeps them quite cool in the winter. Even in the summer, the wall is cool because it's a several feet below the topsoil line. It works out well for me. I have a dry basement, even during heavy rains, which certainly helps.

I usually only keep seeds to about 4 or 5 years beyond the package date. The oldest ones sometimes germinate, sometimes don't. In my experience, my best chances for "old" seed sprouting is that they were heirlooms purchased from a reputable, seed-saver type seed company. I rarely buy hybrid corporate seeds, and if I do, I do not hope for germination past a couple of years. (When I do buy the occasional corporate hybrid, it is generally for yield/pest/condition tests against my favorite heirlooms.)

[OnionPatch]

4. Here's what I learned in an article from Mother Earth News

This article was in December's issue. Lots of good info including this table of seed viability.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic_Gardening/2006-12-01/Savvy-Seed-Care#HLW
From the web page:

When stored in a cool, dark place with constant low humidity, vegetable seeds typically remain viable for one to 10 years, depending on species. Freezing can triple the storage potential of most seeds, but this list reflects average seed longevity under good but non-frozen conditions.

1 to 2 YEARS
corn
leeks
okra
onions
parsley
peppers
3 to 4 YEARS
beans
beets
carrots
chard
lettuce
peas
squash
spinach
4 YEARS OR MORE
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
cantaloupe
cauliflower
celery
Chinese cabbage
cucumber
eggplant
kale
kohlrabi
pumpkin
radish
tomato
turnip
watermelon

[susanna]

7. Thanks, OnionPatch!

That is a great list. I'm printing it out for my garden journal. :-)