Huge Box of Seeds from 2003!

countrynaturals 8/12/2017, 7:58 pm

Son found a huge box of seeds at a yard sale for $5. He was so proud of himself he made a special trip over to deliver them. Problem is, they're from 2003. Also, they're about 95% flowers. I'm not sure what to do with them. Maybe I'll fill up a bunch of small containers and dump a whole pkg in each one. I can't imagine more than a 1% germination rate -- if that. Any suggestions?

countrynaturals 8/13/2017, 10:37 am

Found the perfect spot for a Zombie Garden, at the edge of the patio, in front of the redwoods. I already started moving rocks and taking pictures. As soon as I get it lined, I will start filling it with leaves and watering/stomping it down. It will be interesting to see if the chickens take an interest in it. Today I'm going to plant the best of the seeds in containers on the deck -- a whole packet in each 1 gal. pot. After the bed is prepped, I'll dump in all the rest of the seeds -- thousands of them -- Zombie style -- then wait and water. bounce

(Patience is not one of my virtues.)
Huge Box of Seeds from 2003! Zombie10

The bed is roughly 5x10. It will probably take another 3 loads of rocks and who knows how many loads of leaves. Definitely a labor of love. If these antique seeds don't produce, I'll start over with new ones, but it would certainly be fun if at least some of them make it. Our son is a very sentimental guy. He would get a huge kick out of his $5 investment turning into something wonderful. I love you

**sanderson** 8/13/2017, 12:12 pm

Pretty area for flowers!

CapeCoddess 8/13/2017, 12:18 pm

Both are great ideas, Country - pots and zombie! That's what I would do.

**AtlantaMarie** 8/14/2017, 7:03 am

Shall we start a pool? I bet you're gonna get better germination rates than you expect!

I'll go 37%.

countrynaturals 8/14/2017, 10:23 am

CapeCoddess wrote:Both are great ideas, Country - pots and zombie! That's what I would do.

Started last night with 8 pots. Down to 6 already this morning -- raccoons visited last night and dumped 2 of them. Mad

I swept up the dirt and poured it into the future garden site. The seeds were too small to see, but fingers crossed that most of them made it. Not a good start. Sad

The other 6 pots will go into the Salad Bar in a safe spot, today. Rolling Eyes

countrynaturals 8/14/2017, 10:25 am

AtlantaMarie wrote:Shall we start a pool? I bet you're gonna get better germination rates than you expect!

I'll go 37%.

That would be awesome! There are so many seeds that a 5% germination rate would have that little garden bed bursting at the seams. flower

CapeCoddess 8/14/2017, 12:35 pm

hmmm...

Those seeds are 14 yrs old.
I'll stick with 5%.
But if they are all dumped in, which is how I do zombie seeds, how would we really know?

countrynaturals 8/14/2017, 2:02 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:hmmm... Those seeds are 14 yrs old.
I'll stick with 5%.
But if they are all dumped in, which is how I do zombie seeds, how would we really know?

SURPRISE!

Isn't that the whole point of a "Zombie Garden?" We never know what's gonna come out of the ground. affraid

In addition to all the seed packets I'll be pouring in, the box also included bags and bags of seeds that person collected from his/her own garden. Maybe I should call this a "Zombie Apocalypse Garden." rofl

hammock gal 8/15/2017, 8:21 am

I think it was so sweet of your son to think of you! I had no idea there was any such thing as a Zombie Garden. Is that when you take old seeds that are possibly "dead" and plant them, hoping that they "rise from the dead" and flourish? Well, I'm fascinated...what a fun experiment. I can't wait to see what's lurking in that box of seeds. What a fun experiment! bounce

countrynaturals 8/15/2017, 9:28 am

hammock gal wrote:I think it was so sweet of your son to think of you! I had no idea there was any such thing as a Zombie Garden. Is that when you take old seeds that are possibly "dead" and plant them, hoping that they "rise from the dead" and flourish? Well, I'm fascinated...what a fun experiment. I can't wait to see what's lurking in that box of seeds. What a fun experiment!

LOL! I like your explanation. It's also for when the seeds get mixed up and "we really don't know what's going to come out of the ground." affraid

Somebody here started this idea. Gonna research it right now and give credit to the originator.

countrynaturals 8/15/2017, 9:32 am

countrynaturals wrote:
hammock gal wrote:I think it was so sweet of your son to think of you! I had no idea there was any such thing as a Zombie Garden. Is that when you take old seeds that are possibly "dead" and plant them, hoping that they "rise from the dead" and flourish? Well, I'm fascinated...what a fun experiment. I can't wait to see what's lurking in that box of seeds. What a fun experiment!
LOL! I like your explanation. It's also for when the seeds get mixed up and "we really don't know what's going to come out of the ground." Somebody here started this idea. Gonna research it right now and give credit to the originator.

I did a search and couldn't find it. Who started the Zombie Garden idea?

CapeCoddess 8/15/2017, 10:57 am

hammock gal wrote:I think it was so sweet of your son to think of you! I had no idea there was any such thing as a Zombie Garden. Is that when you take old seeds that are possibly "dead" and plant them, hoping that they "rise from the dead" and flourish? Well, I'm fascinated...what a fun experiment. I can't wait to see what's lurking in that box of seeds. What a fun experiment!

That's exactly what it is. What a Face

It started 2 or 3 yrs ago because I had old seeds and seeds I wouldn't grow again but couldn't bear to throw them out or compost them. Soooo....the Zombie garden came to be. It's in one of the New England threads I think.
Found it! Looks like YOU came up with the term, Country. Page 3:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t20779p50-new-england-july-2016

Country, maybe one of the admins would adjust your thread title to include Zombie Garden so we can use this thread to post and follow whenever we start a new one. Or you could start a new Zombie Garden thread once you plant...?

CC

countrynaturals 8/15/2017, 12:56 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:
hammock gal wrote:I think it was so sweet of your son to think of you! I had no idea there was any such thing as a Zombie Garden. Is that when you take old seeds that are possibly "dead" and plant them, hoping that they "rise from the dead" and flourish? Well, I'm fascinated...what a fun experiment. I can't wait to see what's lurking in that box of seeds. What a fun experiment!

That's exactly what it is.
It started 2 or 3 yrs ago because I had old seeds and seeds I wouldn't grow again but couldn't bear to throw them out or compost them. Soooo....the Zombie garden came to be. It's in one of the New England threads I think.
Found it! Looks like YOU came up with the term, Country. Page 3:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t20779p50-new-england-july-2016

Country, maybe one of the admins would adjust your thread title to include Zombie Garden so we can use this thread to post and follow whenever we start a new one. Or you could start a new Zombie Garden thread once you plant...?

CC

I'm on it!

countrynaturals 8/17/2017, 11:12 am

TA DA!

One of my perennial seeds has already sprouted. That was a real surprise, since they're so old and I thought perennials always took longer to sprout -- another myth shattered. Razz

Rue Barbie 11/11/2017, 8:26 pm

So... what happened?

Did you have a nice flower meadow? Very Happy

countrynaturals 11/11/2017, 10:17 pm

Rue Barbie wrote:So... what happened?

Did you have a nice flower meadow?

Nope. Nothing survived, but I still have a lot more to plant next spring. Cool

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