Now that I got the skinny on the dirt how 'bout a little help on the seed? Are heirlooms necessary or if I get packages of seed from the store and vaccum seal them will these keep for a period of time. Like everybody else I'm working on a budget so if I can save money on the cost of seed and use the sealer to extend storage, I can employ the plant one store two plan. Ideas or comments??
If you are going to save seeds from your present crop for the next year use Heirloom as Hybrid seeds may not give you the expected results. For storage vacuum seal and store in ice box or freezer. You may want to research the freezer part as one University web site I was on stated that freezing seeds can make them crack. I don't remember the web site. From my own experience I buy seeds from a local Nursery and they freeze their seeds and the 10 for $1.00 cheap seed packs I buy usually out germinate them percentage wise. Here is a site that recommends freezing seeds. The Need for Seed: A Guide to Seed Saving - By Brook Elliott
If you do save your seeds I would also recommend doing that maybe one or two years then replenish with new. I am no expert on this just my experience.
I got this link from another site it is a must read for gardeners.
Thanks for the info!! Any idea how long seeds keep in just the pack? I'm always up for saving a penny and a second if i can, so if they'll keep for at least 2-3 yrs. in the pack they should keep for like ever vaccum sealed right?
Thanks for the info!! Any idea how long seeds keep in just the pack? I'm always up for saving a penny and a second if i can, so if they'll keep for at least 2-3 yrs. in the pack they should keep for like ever vaccum sealed right?
I have no idea how long they would actually last in a vacuum pack placed in a freezer. The best contingency would be to plan on saving the next two years seeds and do that each year and plant the next season with the oldest seeds. There is a project that was undertook recently where they collected all the seeds in the world (well maybe not all) and placed them in deep freeze in Norway. The temperature they will maintain is -18C/0F. They expect the seeds to last 1,000 years.
When I buy Rutger tomatoes a small scoop at 50 cents is a lot of seeds. I have planted them 5 years later unfrozen with good results. I also have planted squash seeds that were 10 years old plus and got some to germinate.
Best practice is to save seeds every year and not to rely on long term storage.
If you want long term storage I would start this season with vacuum packing some seeds and label them to be planted 5 years later and do that ever year then test the sample seeds to see how they preform as different types of seeds will preform differently.
There are beans found in earthen pots from the Native Americans from over a thousand years ago. Granted there were sealed in the pot and in a dry climate, but they still sprouted and produced edible beans and are now being propagated.
__________________ I reserve the right to be wrong.
I do not know what you might be able to get from the seed supplier in terms of information but they do know the germination percentages
for their products both new and in storage.
There are beans found in earthen pots from the Native Americans from over a thousand years ago. Granted there were sealed in the pot and in a dry climate, but they still sprouted and produced edible beans and are now being propagated.
You are right. I read years ago where they actually got a seed to germinate that was found in an Egyptian tomb that was estimated to be 3,000 years old.
Freezing is the best way to preserve seeds. In Norway there is a large Doomsday seed vault storeing seeds of the worlds food crops and other usefull plants. They have to rotate the stock every few year to keep the DNA from degrading.
What part of east central IL you from wood walker?
live to shoot, I use gurney's seeds, I like them and they are not far away for shipping for me. Territorial seed out of OR is pretty good too. There is a a fairly new company in MO I was interested in that specializes in heirlooms but I can't find their catalog at the present, wife may have taken it to work as they hold festivals and she was talking to a lady at work about their ozark music list of performers. Will post name when I find catalog or her! LOL
__________________ Most of my life I've spent hunting,... the rest of it I've just wasted
Heirlooms give the best results. Try the Ark Institute or Survivalist seeds the latter will actually buy back your seeds. Seeds off my cutting board have sprouted, I'll keep you posted.
Okay simple as can be answer you cannot and I repeat cannot glean reliable seed from hybrid crops, you must have heirlooms fruits and veggies to obtain viable seed, at least in the sense that you'll actually get a crop!
__________________ "You can have my Freedom when I'm done with it!"
I know its about a month too late, but check this guy out. His seeds always germinate well for me, and I buy a majority of my seeds from him. His prices are fair too.
Seems like an honest hard working American worth supporting.
I've decided that I'm going to grow beans this year, just in case I ever really need to. I'll give a report on the success I have with his bean stock.
