Tips & Trends
Monthly design tip, garden info & outdoor trends
Topic: The Garden
Seeds for the Garden
Several clients have asked if their leftover seeds from last year can still be planted. Yes...and no. Many will, just not as many as if they were fresh. Some seeds deteriorate more quickly. For example, broccoli and spinach seeds may still germinate after five years, while onion and parsley seeds only last a year. You can check the viability, or germination rate of seeds by running this simple germination test.
Spread 10 seeds on a moistened paper towel, place them in a plastic bag, and leave them in a warm place. After a few days, count how many have sprouted. All 10? Plant at the normal spacing. Only five? Plant the seeds twice as thick as normal.
Cleve Zipperer
