Topic: Too many seeds!

[veggiewomble]

When I get a packet of seeds for a vegetable, I find that they usually supply way too many, and I end up with too many seedlings for me to cope with. Does anyone else have this problem??? Do you just reseal the packet and sow for next year, or....?

vegwomble

[Barnowl]

Yes - except for my favourite chillies and tomatoes where they don't give me enough!

[sweet-pea]

Yes, I re-seal and use most the following year. Sometimes the germination isn't as good the following year, and I know you can do a germination test, but I always forget so just sow and see what comes up.  I always sow too many of things so if some don't germinate I always have plenty of something else to make up the numbers  :)  I know you can't keep Parsnip seeds from year to year, don't know if the same applies to any others.

SP x

[cambourne7]

but thats where all your friends on A4A can help :-)

Personaly i think bags of beans and peas are 2 big! if your going to save seed you dont need the rest of the packet!!

[theothermarg]

i find most seeds last for years , parsnips and sweetcorn i believe don,t. most keep alright if sealed and kept cool
marg

[davyw1]

life expectancy of stored seed
Beans               2 years
Beet                 3 years
Brassica           4 years
Caspian            5 years
Carrots             4 years
celery                5 years
cucumber           5 years
Leaks                3 years
Lettuce              3 years
Marrow
courgette           6 years
Onion Seed        1 to 2 year
Peas                   2 year
Radish                6 year
swede/turnip     3 year
Tommato            3 Year

[okra]

Yes - the only seeds best fresh every year are sweetcorn and parsnip - in my experience the germination of saved seeds from these two is very poor

[Jeannine]

I got about 50/50 from some 4 year old corn this year,not my main crop, I didn't even know I still had it so sowed it to see.

Tomatoes I would give much longer than 3 years.

Squash I have sown some dated 1988 this year and got fair germination. I do store in cool conditions though.

I think onion seed goes fast.

Beans I have  regularly done up to 7 but again poor germination.Enough though.

I am currently trying to sow some 1998 beans but no luck apart from 1 seed out of 20 sown, I will sow some more, at least 1 plant will replenish my stock.

XX Jeannine

[veggiewomble]

Wow, thanks for all the useful advice, everyone. I've got a few seed packets I've left unopened. I stupidly sowed all my aubergine seeds this spring and now I think I've got at least 10 plants to look after.  :o Too little space.

My tomato seeds expire this summer. I wonder what the germination rate will be if I sow them next year?  ???

vw

[GRACELAND]

Marrow  Don't Keep well but most others Do ok

I found some Runner Beans In My Uncles Shed And Tried Um Now Theses were at least 10 Years old ,, They Grew !!

But Don't know What they Were  ::) ??? ;D