By Bev Johnson

Master Gardener

Bunkey was in the boy’s toy store looking for light bulbs when he bumped into one of the seed displays. That reminded him that he needed some cantaloupe seeds. He was just about to look for them when he reminded himself that he needed other seeds too. Rather than doubling up seeds, he went home and got out the box where he kept his collection of seeds. Sorting through them he started reading the dates on the top of the packets. He was surprised to see that some were 5 years old. No wonder he had had such poor germination in his corn last year. After he separated the older packets from the pile, he only had one of radishes and the other of beets. He dumped all the seeds except the treated ones in a pile and put them out for the birds.

Most seeds are good for 2 to 3 years, then the germination drops rapidly off. If it is a seed that is difficult to find, you can check the germination rate quite easily. Lay 10 seeds on a damp piece of paper towel, then roll it up in plastic. Put it in a warm place, the top of the fridge works quite well. Open it up after a week and see how many have germinated. If none, dampen it and roll it up for another few days. If 5 of the seeds have sprouted, you have a 50 percent germination rate. You can use these seeds, just sow them more thickly than usual. Any less than that, chuck them and start over.

Seed packets are full of information. They should tell you how deep to plant, how far apart if you are planting seeds or seedlings, how long it takes to germinate, and what temperature it needs to sprout.  Here is the information on the back of a packet of Mexican Sunflower from John Schepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. All the regular information listed above, then—they should be started indoors at 70 degrees in strong light and good ventilation. Harden off for 1 to 2 weeks. Transplant 2 feet apart. Drought tolerant, heat lover. Requires good drainage and dislikes excessive watering. Follow that and how could you go wrong?

Before you buy, look at the back of the seed packet to see if it will grow where you want it to. If you want a front of the bed flower, you don’t want a Mexican Sunflower as they can grow to 4 feet tall if they are happy in their place. If you are planting a perennial, be sure it is for our 3A to 4B zone. That information is also on the back of the packet.  

The most important information about a vegetable is taste. Look for words like excellent taste, very sweet etc. Next disease resistance. On a tomato packet it should describe the size of the fruit.  Also note whether it fruits early, the number of days to fruiting, and if it is determinate or indeterminate. The latter will vine and produce till frost. Does it ripen in cooler weather?

If you have a limited space, you want bush type plants. Almost every crop comes in a bush type. Some even suggest that they are excellent or even designed for containers. Be aware that most tomatoes that are recommended for containers are the small cherry types, great for a snack but difficult to use for a BLT.     

Now is a good time to check your seed supply. Check the year on the top of the packet. While the seed racks have lots of seeds, the varieties may be limited. Seed catalogs will usually have a better variety, especially if you are looking for an unusual seed. If the vegetable description doesn’t mention taste, pick one that does. It’s not too early to plan your garden.