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Post by spike on Sept 13, 2020 11:30:23 GMT -5
Is it to soon to buy seeds for next years garden?
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Post by paulf on Sept 13, 2020 12:15:04 GMT -5
Most years the seeds sold in the fall and winter are packaged for that year's crop meaning they could be anywhere from the year before to a couple of years old. If there is truly a seed shortage maybe buying now would be OK. Do you suppose the seed sellers are ramping up production?
I buy from my favorite independents so I don't know their situation. Maybe they can let us know.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Sept 13, 2020 12:21:09 GMT -5
Nothing wrong with buying seeds for next season now - a lot of places have sales now, to get rid of this years seeds. Makes you wonder what happens with the rest of them, since you know they weren't all sold!
Just be sure you don't buy seeds that don't store well this early, though I really don't grow any of those types - just read about them, from others.
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Post by september on Sept 13, 2020 12:46:18 GMT -5
If you buy them now, make sure you have a dedicated, planned space to store them that you can find next spring. More than once, I have put seeds in a "safe" place and then not found them the next season.
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Post by spike on Sept 13, 2020 14:38:54 GMT -5
Just be sure you don't buy seeds that don't store well this early How do I know what doesn't store well? I suppose I can just wait? I just had the bestest garden ever! For the past several years I should have planted rice or harvested cranberries >,< but now I am twitchy for next year!! My gardening excitement is back!!
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 13, 2020 14:59:53 GMT -5
Corn and peas are two that I keep for 2 years and then replace.
My seed store, Rohrer's seeds does not have next year's seeds until December at the earliest. I will probably check then.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Sept 13, 2020 15:37:16 GMT -5
spike Onions are one I've heard that don't store well, and I'm sure others have some they can tell you. Some flowers, too, but I can't help with those! If you have a particular seed you are wondering about, just google something like "storing seeds for _______".
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Post by paulf on Sept 13, 2020 16:01:52 GMT -5
After an on-line search most places say about the same thing for most garden seeds: 1 Year: Parsnips 2 Years: Leeks, Okra, Onions, Parsley, and Sweet Corn
3 Years: Asparagus, Beans, Carrots, Oriental Greens, Rutabagas, Swiss Chard, Pop Corn, and Peas also most Annual and perennial flower seeds
4 Years: Beet, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mustard, Collard, Kale, Pepper, and Tomato
5 Years: Celery, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Muskmelon, Pumpkin, Radish, Spinach, Squash, Turnip, and Watermelon
My opinion is peppers are fewer than 4 years and my experience with tomatoes is between six and ten years. Some I have grown out at 12-15 years but it takes a lot of work and babying.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 13, 2020 17:11:25 GMT -5
I just planted some 3 year old lettuce seeds last week and got zero germination.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Sept 14, 2020 12:39:06 GMT -5
That list generally tracks with my experience. Except: I have had back luck with 3+ year old lettuce as well - zero germination. Oddly I have good luck with really old okra seeds that are 5-7 years or even older. Maybe the okra knows it's in Florida? But seriously, I keep okra seeds at controlled room temperature and humidity (HVAC year-round) and don't refrigerate or freeze them. I also have good luck with 5-7 year old pepper seeds, but again, I keep them at controlled room temperature and humidity - I don't refrigerate or freeze them. Tomatoes are usually good for at least 50% germination for 7-10 years or more.
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Post by september on Sept 14, 2020 15:52:17 GMT -5
Lettuce seeds have been widely variable for me. The best were from SeedsFromItaly, their Franchi brand lettuce seeds of various varieties have in some cases lasted up to 4 or 5 years for me, and they give you so much one person can't possibly use them up. Seeds from other sources are usually OK for for 2 or 3 years, germination going down in the 3rd year. But I've had some with poor germination even the first year.
I keep my tomato and pepper seeds at room temperature, around 68-72 in our basement. Tomatoes up to 15 years old have germinated, and I don't know the oldest peppers, but for sure at least 5 years.
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Post by octave1 on Sept 14, 2020 20:00:24 GMT -5
Carrot, onion and parsley seeds do not germinate well (or at all) after 1 year. Everything else lasts longer. I had tomato seeds germinate after 10+ yrs.
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Post by paquebot on Sept 15, 2020 7:38:43 GMT -5
Commercial seed may be 20 years old and as fresh as if just collected. Just depends on how they are stored. If frozen, nobody knows how many thousands of years some may be viable. When I began saving tomato seeds for sharing, I knew that airtight conditions were best. I chose 1½-ounce sample jelly/mustard jars from Swiss Colony and Wisconsin Cheeseman. Some seal so tight that I need a jar opener to open them after awhile. Last year I germinated some just fine from 2004.
There is just one drawback with glass jars. They are heavy when changing over to the new guard. Several weeks ago, 840 of them were sent to another SSE member in Michigan. There were 6 large Priority Mail boxes of 140 each. Those were the 2006-2018 varieties. She is re-listing all with plans to re-grow most pre-2010 varieties but continue to list the old seeds.
Bottom line is storage. I thought of the long term when I started saving seeds. A lot more expensive than Chinese ziplocks but worth it in the end.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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