Two years ago, I think, I got this little sack of "hummingbird flower garden" seeds at our RU. It was tied up with a cute lavender ribbon. Well, I want to plant them now. Are they still good?
So much for doing things in a TIMELY fashion, I know.
old seed good?
Sybram, in my not-vast experience, I plant seeds whenever I get around to it and sometimes they grow, which astounds me (that they grow at all). Seeds last a long time in optimal conditions (frozen, airtight, etc). But what do you have to lose by planting them now?
I concur. What can it hurt? I've had this 'seed stash' since i started gardening. I've not EVEN kept up with when I got them. Now, I would never TRADE those to someone else, but don't have the heart to throw them away. I've always been amazed when old seeds come up. Some are dryer than others by nature and will last longer.
Give it a shot! what fun!!
This message was edited Apr 9, 2013 8:11 PM
OK, I'm doing it.
Just to let you know it's recommended in the South to sow seeds for most wildflowers in the fall, as the summer heat will kill them, if they aren't established and the perennials may not bloom until next spring. But by that time I would forget. So sow them know but you may not see flowers until next spring.
"But by that time I would forget." So true! I packed a couple envelopes of old seed (in May 2012) that I thought might grow down here. I just now thought of them--I don't remember seeing them when we unpacked.
Hahaha, you girls are after my own heart. I'm Queen of Forgets.
Thanks for that heads up Lisa. I'll go ahead and plant, but be prepared to wait.
I'm so glad there are others like me!! hahaha
i'll start seeds, leave them to go get something to mark them in my garden... forget what I went in for, then a week or two later, I see greenies and think 'well, crap! what did I put there?!!' sheesh.
It's a big club!
I've bought seeds, brought them home, then find I had two packs already. same seeds. Good gravy.
Guilty. But I do that with everything; underwear, milk, blue tank tops (I have a whole bunch now), seeds.
LMAO Carrie. perfect
My kids ask me why I have stuff laying all over, bc if I put it away I'll forget about it. Lol. Many seeds, wildflowers especially will germinate when the time is right they know what they are doing. BB seeds germinate in the fall and winter but don't bloom until the early spring. My areas that usually reseed every year with wildflowers are still bare. I think if the cold fronts would stop things would be better. If all else fails I'll toss some seeds for zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers and a few other annuals. Usually I'm seeing larkspur and poppies by now but I only have 2 BB that's pathetic.
I don't so much forget about things my list is so long I just never get around to everything. I still have pepper plants from a year ago in nursery pots. I started them and I want to keep the seeds pure so I don't get as many pods but what I do have gives me pure seed. My heat mat has been on since Feb 8th, I started more peppers at the beginning of March and some are just now sprouting. This weather has everything confused.
I never throw out seed. If it grows great if not what ever. Seed viability really depends on species too. Some seed just lasts a lot longer than others. Some times you just get really low germination rates but something is better than nothing.
I forget to label the ones I collect then a year later I am scratching my head trying to figure what kind of seed is in there. Gets really annoying.
C
Oh my! I never knew I had so many SISTERS!
SISTER!