|
| I have been given a box of seed packets, mostly from 2007. I know tomatoes can last for years but is there a rule of thumb for other veggies? There are peppers, tons of odd lettuce varieties, dry beans, squash. Most are Italian varieties as this was part of a seed exchange with a village in Italy.
I know I can (and will) do some wet paper towel tests, but I did that last year with basil and parsley seeds. All of them sprouts in the paper towels and in the seed trays but they certainly did not thrive. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| With the exception of the allium family (onions and such) most all seeds have a long term viability IF they were well stored (cool and dry). Germination rates fall off very gradually. So 2007 seeds aren't very old. All of them sprouts in the paper towels and in the seed trays but they certainly did not thrive. If they didn't thrive it wasn't the fault of the seeds. Once sprouted it is the growing conditions provided by the grower - the soil, the temperatures, the light, water, and nutrients - that determine if they thrive or not. In other words, failure to thrive is a result of poor growing conditions, not the age of the seed. So consider changing your growing mix, watering habits, amount of light provided, fertilizers, etc. Dave |
|
| Thanks Dave. This means I need to learn more about herbs--probably more heat. "Matoes and peppers did fine, but these herbs (and ... oh yea, the shallots) were pathetic. |
|
| probably more heat. Keep in mind that heat is used only for germination. Once germinated most all plants prefer cooler temps for growing - at least until ready to go into the garden. The recommended "growing temps" for seedlings is 50-65 degrees maximum. Dave |
|
| I've had parsley and basil from 2005 germinate this year, not a high percentage, but still viable nonetheless. Similarly I've germinated hot peppers from 2005 this January, about 60% germinated. On the other hand, I'm still waiting over four weeks for cubanelle peppers from 2006 to germinate, I think they're a goner. While were on the subject, a poster named spinonitaliani on the Vegetable forum was inquiring about heirloom Italian seed a few weeks ago. You might have some interests in common. |
|
- Posted by homegrown54 z6 SE Ohio (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 13:00
| Hi Tom. Question on your cubanelles that are disappointing you. Don't give up on 'em quite yet. I have learned over the years that some take FORever it seems, and then they don't pop up all at the same time. I've heard a theory about the timing of seeds from the same pack (or saved)... that somehow, they have a built in 'hedge your bets' way of not all coming up at once, in case the weather is not good. I don't know for sure if that's true, but I sure like the theory! Woost2, be sure to store your seeds COOL very cool... Best to all, Homegrown |
|
- Posted by evelyn_inthegarden 8NCAfoothills (My Page) on Thu, Feb 25, 10 at 22:57
| I germinated alyssum seeds from 1997, so I will report back on some of my old tomato and lettuce seeds....and more! |
|
- Posted by woodyguthriefan 6a (My Page) on Sat, Feb 27, 10 at 13:30
| Hopefully the seeds were stored properly. What a great gift; a box of Italian veggie seeds for FREE! Good luck. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Growing from Seed Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.