Anything That Grows

Yesterday a friend asked me if seeds must be used the year that you bought them, or can leftover seeds be used the following year. The simple answer is yes, you can save unused seeds from year to year, but be aware that as the seeds age their viability declines so you can expect lower germination rates. Sometimes you will see out of date seeds for sale and you can save money on those seed, but they will not have the germination rate of fresh seed. And you have no idea under what conditions they have been stored for the last year, so it’s a bit of a gamble. Seed packets will be stamped with the year they were packed. Some seed packets will also tell you what the germination rate is. That is the percentage of seeds which will produce a plant, under ideal conditions. For new and vigorous seeds the percent germination is usually between 75 to 85 percent. It goes down over time. I found I had several seed packets from 2014, six year old seed, and I decided to try sprouting the radish s...

When planting large seeds such as peas, beans, corn, and pumpkin, it is suggested that they be soaked in water overnight to speed up germination. Seeds are designed to wait for just the right conditions before germinating. Temperature and moisture are critical elements in telling the seed when the time is right to go for it. For instance, tomato seeds germinate best at 70 to 80 degrees (that's soil temperature). Their germination rate will be lower outside of that range, and  below 50 degrees they really won't germinate at all. So you might think you were getting a jump on the season by putting seeds in the ground early when actually they would probably just sit in the ground and rot. Most seeds do not require light to germinate, but some, like lettuce, do. Some seeds like Morning Glory need to have the seed coat nicked ever so slightly before they will germinate easily. Check your seed packet for instructions on germination Soaking seeds overnight tells the seed that m...

It's time to plant peas, another early season and cold hardy crop. I'm talking about those sweet little nuggets of green goodness that grow in their little green pod. The traditional date to plant them is St Patrick's Day, March 17. That is if the snow is gone and you can get into your garden.! It takes about 2 months to harvest and they don't like hot weather so the earlier the better. I bought pea seed from Agway last week and I was able to call in my order, pay for it on the phone and pick it up curbside. I also bought inoculant. Microbial inoculants are agricultural amendments that use beneficial microbes to promote plant health. Peas are a legume which means they have the unique ability to "fix" nitrogen. All plants require nitrogen to grow and nitrogen fixation occurs when nitrogen in the air is converted to nitrogenous compounds in the soil. This fixation is carried out naturally in the soil by microorganisms, and some of these soil micro...