January is a quiet month for most Hoosier gardeners. But for those who grow veggies every summer, and actually start their veggies from seed, January is a great time to learn more about the seeds in your possession.
What possibly can you ‘learn’ from seeds, you ask? The most important thing of all: will those seeds actually germinate? If you discovered some seeds in your dad’s shed, or have been sitting on seeds for years, don’t wait till planting day to see if they’re worth planting. Why not test those seeds to see if they’ll germinate. This test is easy, fast, free, and fun. Let’s begin…
Everything you need for this test is in your kitchen:
1. Pull a big paper towel off the roll for each type of seed you plan to test.
2. Lay it flat.
3. With a Sharpie write the seed’s name or the type of plant (just to ensure you don’t get confused later).
4. Now get the paper towel completely wet under the sink. Wring it out so it’s just damp, not soaking.
5. Lay it flat again. Place 10 seeds on one half of the paper towel. Small seeds: place 20.
6. Fold over the other half of the paper towel.
7. Grab a ziploc bag and stick the paper towel in a ziploc. If you’re testing multiple plant types, you can double up here.
8. Put the ziploc on top of the refrigerator.
Now it’s just a matter of time. Some seeds, such as celery, chard, and tomatoes, take days to germinate; others — basil, lettuce, beans — break much faster. Just keep an eye on the bag. Wait at most a week and open up the ziploc. Pull out each paper towel test: if 10 seeds sprouted, you have excellent seed! That means 100 percent of your seeds will germinate. If only five sprouted, you may need to abandon that batch of seed or get it planted this year to create more (newer, healthier) seed! High germination rates mean you can safely assume you only need to start one seed per plant pot. Low germination rates mean you’ll need at least 3 seeds per plant pot.
The oldest known seeds to successfully germinate? The Arctic flower Campion found in a Siberian squirrel burrow germinated after sitting underground for 31,800 years! Seeds are hardy little storage containers, but over time most lose viability. Still, it’s worth saving them. Keep seeds cool, dry, and in the dark at all times. Over the years you will build up quite a collection. A word of caution: seed-saving is addictive! Next week we’ll look at starting seed to get ready for your 2014 garden.
To learn more about germinating seeds and to swap seeds, plan on attending the Seed Swap, Saturday, January, 25th at 1pm at the Benton House, 312 S. Downey (46219) in Irvington. More info: peter@gardenbuilder.com
