Community ClicksSeeds are living things.
Before being planted, they respire, use up stored foods and build up toxins.
Seeds, like the rest of us, age and their ability to germinate and produce healthy plants declines over time.
Although we’ve all heard about seeds that have survived in the tombs of pharaohs, most seeds do not remain viable nearly that long.
The seeds from some plant species tend to live longer than those of others. (See sidebar.)
But most are good for only a couple of years.
Storage conditions are critical, too.
Cool, dark, dry conditions (or the exact opposite of what makes a seed want to sprout) are the best storage conditions for most seeds.
Storage life is doubled for each 10-degree decrease in temperature or each 1 percent decrease in seed moisture content.
Ideally temperature plus relative humidity should equal 100.
To keep seeds cool, store newly purchased seeds in clearly marked packets in the refrigerator or freezer.
To lower the humidity around the seeds, store the packets in a sealed container with a desiccant that will absorb moisture.
Do not place the desiccant directly in the seed packets.
Commonly used desiccants include silica gel crystals (like those in the packets found in shoe boxes or handbags), rice and recently opened powdered milk.
To use powdered milk, place about ½ cup of fresh powdered milk in a small cloth bag and place the bag in the sealed container with the seeds.
Replace the desiccant every six months.
Because moisture can move through paper and plastic, it is better to store seeds in glass or metal.
A glass jar with a tight fitting lid is perfect.
Some gardeners use surplus ammo cases or empty film canisters, which are also air-tight.
Plastic or paper with an aluminum vapor barrier, like those used by many commercial seed producers, will block moisture.
If you want to reuse seed but don’t know the age of the seed or whether it was stored under proper conditions, you can determine the viability of the seeds by doing a germination test:
1. Spread 25 seeds from the pack on a stack of two to three moist paper towels.
2. Roll up the towels loosely and seal them in a plastic bag or container.
3. Keep the paper towels in a warm place (70 to 80 degrees) until the seeds germinate.
After a week or so, check to see how many seeds have sprouted.
If at least half of the seeds germinate, the seeds can be used, but you might want to sow them thicker than you normally would.
If less than 50 percent germinate, it would be best to discard them.
Planting seeds that do not germinate or grow well is a waste of your time.
Worse yet, it could delay getting your garden in the ground.
For best results, buy new seed each year, limit your purchases to the seeds you will use that year, and share leftovers with friends, family members and community garden groups.
Jeanette Stehr-Green is a certified Washington State University
Clallam County Master Gardener.
The Master Gardener Program of Clallam County is located at the WSU Extension Office in the courthouse in Port Angeles.
For help with gardening questions, phone the Clallam County Master Gardener Help Line at 360- 417-2514 or visit clallam.wsu.edu/mg.
Seed suggestions:
The average number of years (from date stamped on commercially-
produced seed packets) that seeds can be saved if stored in cool, dry conditions are:
One to two years: corn, leek, onion, parsley and parsnip.
Three to four years: bean, beet, carrot, pea, pepper, pumpkin, squash and tomato.
Five or more years: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, kale, lettuce, radish and spinach.
Gardening resources:
For more gardening information, attend the Class Act educational series at the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at 2711 Woodcock Road in Sequim.
The first free presentation will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 18, and will focus on grasses and bamboo.
