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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: veggiewomble on April 25, 2007, 11:28:28

Title: Too many seeds!
Post by: veggiewomble on April 25, 2007, 11:28:28

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: Barnowl on April 25, 2007, 11:35:40

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: sweet-pea on April 25, 2007, 11:53:23

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: cambourne7 on April 25, 2007, 12:07:32

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!!

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: theothermarg on April 25, 2007, 13:46:05

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: davyw1 on April 25, 2007, 15:07:20

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: okra on April 25, 2007, 16:30:11

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: Jeannine on April 25, 2007, 19:24:55

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: veggiewomble on April 27, 2007, 06:47:22

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

Title: Re: Too many seeds!
Post by: GRACELAND on April 27, 2007, 17:53:14

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