N & C Midwest: January 2017!

Finalizing seed order today. Tossed out all seeds and starting brand new this year like a newbie. The seed packet volume was getting out of hand.  Storing and keeping track was becoming tedious and no fun.  Did a Massive streamline. Closed my eyes and out it went into the side yard non - sq. ft. beds.  If something wants to over winter and grow, great. I'll be back to transplant into sq ft beds.  Otherwise birds and field mice can have it. Here's to new beginnings, yeah !!

I have been telling myself for years to toss out all my old cool weather seeds in the fall and warm weather seeds in the spring.  But I never get around to it.

llama momma wrote:Finalizing seed order today. Tossed out all seeds and starting brand new this year like a newbie. The seed packet volume was getting out of hand.  Storing and keeping track was becoming tedious and no fun.  Did a Massive streamline. Closed my eyes and out it went into the side yard non - sq. ft. beds.  If something wants to over winter and grow, great. I'll be back to transplant into sq ft beds.  Otherwise birds and field mice can have it. Here's to new beginnings, yeah !!

Wow, you go, girl!  That takes steel!  How many years are they generally worth keeping?  Mine are from 2015 at the oldest.

Scorpio Rising wrote:

llama momma wrote:Finalizing seed order today. Tossed out all seeds and starting brand new this year like a newbie. The seed packet volume was getting out of hand.  Storing and keeping track was becoming tedious and no fun.  Did a Massive streamline. Closed my eyes and out it went into the side yard non - sq. ft. beds.  If something wants to over winter and grow, great. I'll be back to transplant into sq ft beds.  Otherwise birds and field mice can have it. Here's to new beginnings, yeah !!

Wow, you go, girl!  That takes steel!  How many years are they generally worth keeping?  Mine are from 2015 at the oldest.

It depends on the sort of seed. Onion and parsnip seed, maybe parsley, from 2015 probably won't germinate very well, but everything else is likely fine. (Hrm...no one told my 2 yr old parsley seeds about these numbers. Not sure whether to raise my eyebrow or count my blessings.) Here's three tables of estimates:
http://awaytogarden.com/estimating-viability-how-long-do-seeds-last/
http://www.seasonalwisdom.com/2013/01/how-long-will-vegetable-seeds-stay-viable/
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/how-long-do-garden-seeds-last

I've grown tomatoes from over 10yr old seed, but they took a lot longer to germinate, and not all of them did. To a point, putting more seed per pot helps as seed gets older - but then there gets to be a point where that doesn't work well enough and you are losing too much growing time trying to germinate replacements.

Interesting, thanks for the info!  Seed viability or germination, 2 separate issues, is an ongoing challenge.  I bought Burpee Ruby Crunch lettuce seed last year, because I didn't have a red.  I planted it in my baby seed sitch, on heated pad, under lights, 3 times!  Not  a single one ever made it out alive?!  Not ONE?!!!

New cultivars, Merveille de Seisons Quatro, and All Year Round.

Scorpio Rising wrote:Interesting, thanks for the info!  Seed viability or germination, 2 separate issues, is an ongoing challenge.  I bought Burpee Ruby Crunch lettuce seed last year, because I didn't have a red.  I planted it in my baby seed sitch, on heated pad, under lights, 3 times!  Not  a single one ever made it out alive?!  Not ONE?!!!

New cultivars, Merveille de Seisons Quatro, and All Year Round.

Wait ... were they the on heated pad all three times? What temperature does that get your soil to?
I ended up getting another analog meat thermometer at a thrift store for gardening use so I could determine this. I use bottom heating (mine is a strand of rope lighting) for my nightshades and curcubits, but not my lettuce.  

Lettuce won't germinate if it's too warm, and 'too warm' varies somewhat with variety. I'm seeing different sources on the web draw the line at 75,85, 90 and 95.   Ruby crunch may particularly unwilling to germinate at warm temperatures? If none of your attempts were at room temperature, without heating, I'd certainly give that a try!

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote: I use bottom heating (mine is a strand of rope lighting) for my nightshades and curcubits. . .

Rope lighting, interesting possibility.

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

Scorpio Rising wrote:Interesting, thanks for the info!  Seed viability or germination, 2 separate issues, is an ongoing challenge.  I bought Burpee Ruby Crunch lettuce seed last year, because I didn't have a red.  I planted it in my baby seed sitch, on heated pad, under lights, 3 times!  Not  a single one ever made it out alive?!  Not ONE?!!!

New cultivars, Merveille de Seisons Quatro, and All Year Round.

Wait ... were they the on heated pad all three times? What temperature does that get your soil to?
I ended up getting another analog meat thermometer at a thrift store for gardening use so I could determine this. I use bottom heating (mine is a strand of rope lighting) for my nightshades and curcubits, but not my lettuce.  

Lettuce won't germinate if it's too warm, and 'too warm' varies somewhat with variety. I'm seeing different sources on the web draw the line at 75,85, 90 and 95.   Ruby crunch may particularly unwilling to germinate at warm temperatures? If none of your attempts were at room temperature, without heating, I'd certainly give that a try!

I did it both ways, zip.  First time on the pad, about 75 degrees.  Nada.  2nd time no pad in window. Nothing.  3rd time outside in September, again, not one!

Scorpio Rising wrote:

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

Scorpio Rising wrote:Interesting, thanks for the info!  Seed viability or germination, 2 separate issues, is an ongoing challenge.  I bought Burpee Ruby Crunch lettuce seed last year, because I didn't have a red.  I planted it in my baby seed sitch, on heated pad, under lights, 3 times!  Not  a single one ever made it out alive?!  Not ONE?!!!

New cultivars, Merveille de Seisons Quatro, and All Year Round.

Wait ... were they the on heated pad all three times? What temperature does that get your soil to?
I ended up getting another analog meat thermometer at a thrift store for gardening use so I could determine this. I use bottom heating (mine is a strand of rope lighting) for my nightshades and curcubits, but not my lettuce.  

Lettuce won't germinate if it's too warm, and 'too warm' varies somewhat with variety. I'm seeing different sources on the web draw the line at 75,85, 90 and 95.   Ruby crunch may particularly unwilling to germinate at warm temperatures? If none of your attempts were at room temperature, without heating, I'd certainly give that a try!

I did it both ways, zip.  First time on the pad, about 75 degrees.  Nada.  2nd time no pad in window. Nothing.  3rd time outside in September, again, not one!

Aw, well,it was worth mentioning. Sounds like a bad seed packet. Curious: Did you mail order, or was it from a store?
I had a handful of things I couldn't germinate last year. Some were my fault - found out that the seeds needed cold stratification (catnip, shiso) or some other special treatment. Some were just old. Others like the orach - I think it was a bad seed packet. I wasn't all from the same company, and other seeds from the same companies worked... but I'll be swapping the sources around and re-buy those seeds this year.
I don't see Ruby Crunch listed on Burpee's website. I wonder if you weren't the only one who had a problem and they dropped it.

The 

This is the offending package...I was kind of amazed that I kept it!

It looks so pretty.....alas.

From 2016, I think, Walmart.....

Someone told me many years ago to keep my seed in the crisper drawer in the fridge and I've been doing it forever.
I put the opened seed packs in a plastic baggie and in the crisper they go.

I don't like to keep seed more than 3 years. In fact, last week when I bought seeds for this year, I went through my older seeds a tossed a bunch of them. I've taken small seeds like lettuce and carrots seed and sprinkled them in my salad.   I'm not brave enough to do that with watermelon seed... 

Mr. B, do you have a corner area or some such in your yard where to could throw all your old seeds onto the ground? Maybe you'll get something.  I did that last year and a lot of things sprouted.  It was too late in the season for much to finish but I did get some peas and beans.  I called it my Zombie Garden.

There probably would have been more if I'd remembered to water it.
CC

I'm excited to get back to gardening this year. 

I got diagnosed with Hashimotos & hypothyroidism a year ago.  It took awhile to get my dosage & supplements right so I started tomatoes & tomatillos last year and never got back to attending them.  They literally took over my whole 24' x 30' garden!!  

I was soo sad about not being able to garden last year.  I couldn't believe how much I missed it. 

So I'm dusting off my grow station.  I just ordered new trays and some domed vented lids.  I'm heading to Home Depot this morning to buy more shop lights (only have 2).   I went through my seeds.  I bought some new last year I never opened!  I need to replace some old ones,  mainly lettuce. 

I  also came into winter with 3 hives.   I lost my 3 yr old hive last month.    Also, during the fall, a weasel or minx tunneled into my coop killing half my flock.  I've got an incubator coming in the mail to hatch my own chicks.  

This year I hope to make my rain barrels,  finish our coop,  redo our compost bins, and have a successful gardening year.

R&R,  Welcome back!    Glad you have things under control and can get back to gardening.

sanderson wrote:R&R,  Welcome back!    Glad you have things under control and can get back to gardening.

Thank you!  Glad to be back