Goodwill Community Garden
Many people purchase new seeds every year because they don’t know if the ones
left from previous years are still good. There is an easy way to determine this. First,
dampen a thick paper towel with warm water and spread 10 seeds on half the towel. Then
fold the paper towel over and place it in a sealed plastic bag. Use a marker to write the
name of the seed and the date. Place the bag in a warm place such as the top of a
refrigerator. After two weeks count the number of seeds that have germinated and
calculate the percentage. The lower the percentage, the more thickly the seeds need to be
sown. This method will help you determine which seeds you need to purchase for the
season.
Of course the way that seeds are stored each year will also affect how long they
stay dormant and viable. At the end of the season seal the seed packets or place seeds in a
paper envelope with their information written on it. Make a small packet out of tissue and
1 tablespoon of powdered milk. The powdered milk will help to absorb any moisture.
Place the seed and milk packets into a glass jar and seal the jar. The jar should be kept in
a cool dark place. The back of the refrigerator is ideal. Replace the powdered milk packet
halfway through the winter and the seeds will be ready for planting in the spring.
It is easy to determine if the seeds in the store are worth buying and planting. When you purchase seeds, look closely on the back of the seed package, near the bottom of the package, where the end is folded over. You will find that the seed-rating is listed there, in code. The secret to the code is this: if the code is in numbers, look for the lowest number you can find or if the code is in letters look for the letter that is the closest to the beginning of the alphabet, and you will find the seeds that have the best germination-rate. (The seeds are tested and ranked for their germination-rate.) If you can only find high numbers or letters near the middle or end of the alphabet, don't bother buying the seeds, because they will only have a very slim chance of germinating and yielding any fruits or vegetables.
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