BROCCOLI

EDITED:

February 21, February 22, February 24, March 3, March 15
MARCH 19
Today I filled containers and planted the seeds we had. 

This blog will be updated just like I am doing in my eggplant blog. 

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/2013/02/eggplant.html

This blog will share how we handle the transplanting of plants until they are ready to go into the garden.   The ones in this photo are Waltham 29. As you can see they are too tall. This means they also have well developed root systems that match the length of the greenery.

I will have to use a very delicate touch when I move them. They are very crisp and will snap easily. The other obstacle is the entangled roots. I will put the dirt ball in a shallow dish half filled with warm water. After it has set for a few minutes the roots will slide right out of the potting mix.   These plants in the tray are exactly 2 weeks old (14 days after the seed was planted).

These are eggplant seedlings in the picture on the right, which shows how I soak them to remove them from the potting mix. In the above photo you will see Activia cups. We love to use free stuff in our garden. It keeps it out of the land fills. Sometimes, as in this instance, we find an item which serves our purpose better than the store bought ones. The Activia cup is the ideal size to move the seedlings into for their first home. We cut the rim off for convenience. The rim takes up room in the tray under the lights. We use those gray handle Fiskar's squeeze scissors to cut it off. Leave the advertising paper on the plastic. It adds strength to the container and gives a great surface for applying the lable you make. You need to poke holes in the bottom for drainage. Use a sharp implement. I used a fondue fork. There is a raised section on the bottom of the pot. you need to put your holes in this. If you put them in the section the pot sits on the tray then it won't drain properly. There are lots of commercially designed pots but we have found they are usually too big and require too much dirt.

Speaking of dirt.

We use the Activia cups because they are deep and narrow. They do not require a large amount of our soil mix. What is our soil mix. We mix one part soil with one part peat moss, with 1/2 part sand, 1/2 part of our dried manure from goats/sheep/cow and one part rice hulls. When this is well mixed we add a quart of Epsom salts and a quart of bone meal to a large wheel barrow of the mix. This is then stored to use for potting.

We take equal amounts of this mixture and our soil less mix and mix them together. This is what we use for the first transplanting.

ALERT: WHEN YOU REMOVE THE RING ON THE ACTIVIA CUP PLEASE CLIP ONE SIDE SO IT IS BROKEN. PLASTIC RINGS, IN LAND FILLS, STRANGLE WILDLIFE W. (DON'T FORGET THE ONES ON TOP OF YOUR MILK CARTONS.) THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING THOSE WHO CAN'T PROTECT THEMSELVES.

 Even though some of the seed is very old I did not take the time to proof it.
http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/2013/02/proofing-seeds.html
 I just planted more of each variety.  I hope I am not disappointed in the number of plants that grow.   I planted 32 seeds of each variety in 16 holes in the containers.

                            Date      Date          Date                  Date               Date

                                                  Feb 21     Feb 22     Feb 24               Mar 3             Mar 15

                                     DATE

HY CORONADO CROWN

GURNEY'S 2007         2-16 

HY PACKMAN

GURNEY'S 2007         2-17

GREEN GOLIATH

SHUMWAY 2007       2-17                                           1/32                1/32

HY PREMIUM CROP

HENRY FIELDS 2009 2-17                      11/32           18/32             24/32

HYBRID ARCADIA

HENRY FIELDS 2010 2-17      12/32       17/32            21/32             26/32         28/32

WALTHAM 29 OP

BAKER CREEK 2012 2-17       31/32                            31/32             31/32

We decided in 2012 we were going to try a non hybrid to see what the production rates of it were compared to the Varieties we were growing for the last 5 years. 

FEBRUARY 21:  This was a total surprise.  It's only been 5 days and from the looks of the 1 inch high plants they grew yesterday during the day.  I checked  on the 20 at 6 AM and there was no sign of growth.  This morning at 6 AM I had inch high plants.  They are under a small goose neck light to give them a little warmth and lots of light till I can take them down to the barn to the grow lights.

FEBRUARY 22:  It look likes things are starting to sprout.  I was pleased to see another tray.  BTW.. I found a better wrapping for the seed trays when they are in the propagation chamber (other than plastic wrap).   There is a zip lock bag which has a box bottom in it.  It allows for the height  of the tray I am using.  A gallon size will accommodate three of the trays (recycled plastic trays from chocolate covered graham crackers).  They are the bags with the zipper slides.  

An important note.  Watch your trays for molds.  If that starts to happen uncover your tray...then monitor it closely for dehydration.

When your trays start to sprout remove them from the chamber and put them under light immediately.  Use a strong light source.  If you don't have a set up of grow lights you can use incandescent lamps.  Right now my plants are under two old fashioned goose neck lamps with the bulbs positioned about 4 inches above the plants.  Monitor your plants to make sure your lights aren't too hot.  Monitor for moisture too.  Keep the surface nice and on the moist side of damp, you probably have some seeds which haven't sprouted.

Be sure to check your chamber twice a day.  If they start sprouting they will get leggy, looking for light within 24 hours. 

Finally we have something to get excited about.  Our Eggplant sprouted last week and some of our cabbage sprouted yesterday.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/2013/02/eggplant.html

February 24:  The Waltham which has almost 100 % germination, is not because 31/32 grew but because I hadn't realized I had dropped a couple of extra seeds when I was planting (I.E.  one hole has 3 plants in it...LOL) and some holes have only germinated 1 plant.  The seeds which germinated 3 days ago have really nice first leaves. 

March 3:  Moving day.  The Waltham 29 I moved yesterday.  The rest will be moved today.  They will have a new blog too. Will post the link when I write it later today.

Mar 15:   Today I transplanted the Arcadia Broccoli again (first potting was March 3).  The picture on the left is from March 3.  The seed was sewn on February 17.  The Styrofoam potting container is produced by the company "Speedling".  I found this article about them.  They do promote good root growth.  The only problem I have with them is the soil seems to dry out quicker in them.  I think it is due to the increased surface area.  We also have larger celled Trays and they have the same problem with dehydration.  It does insulate the roots well keeping them at a stable temperature. 

  http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/4689/seed-starting-in-speedling-trays
This is the Arcadia Broccoli on March 15 ready to be transplanted to a larger home.  The roots are beginning to peek out the drainage hole.    It has 14 days since the first potting.  The following pictures a plant plug when I removed it from the tray.  The second picture is the plug and I have disturbed the roots gently with the point of a Chop stick before I put it in its new home.

Notice the well developed roots in just 2 weeks.  The cells are 2 inches wide by just under 2 inches deep.

I am disturbing the roots gently with a chop stick.  This helps them to not be root bound when they are put in their new homes.  When I know I am going to transplant plants I water them heavily the day before.  That way they have a chance to absorb a drink before they are going to have damage done to them by the transplanting.  (No matter how careful you are you inflict some damage.)  Doing it 24 hours in advance insures you won't have a sopping mess to try to transplant.

This is their new home.  It is another potting system we enjoy using.  The "pots" are mostly biodegradable.  I really enjoy using these.  The baskets which hold the square containers unhinges on the corners and stores flat.  The pots are sent to you flat.  No one said but I bet the designer had planted in cardboard milk cartons before.  I have used them and achieve the same results.  (Getting all those smaller milk cartons is difficult).  These are the product and design of Hummerts in St. Louis.  The following is the link to the page describing them.

http://www.hummert.com/ProductDetail.aspx?Page=ProductList.aspx&ID=8883&C=14

This is the Arcadia Broccoli snuggled into their new accommodations.  There is plenty of room in the six inch deep pots for their roots to grow with out being root bound.  (The pots are only 2x2 so they are giving maximum root space without using a lot of soil.  This is one reason why I like to plant in the quart cardboard milk cartons.  You have room for the roots to stretch out.  Another great planting re-cycle  is the tall drink cups you get at the gas stations. (Just remember you need to drill holes in the bottom.)  

In our garden we try to re-use and re-cycle as much as we can.  This 15 ounce detergent bottle contains fish emulsion.  It is the ideal size and the nozzle is perfect for watering the small cells so it doesn't drown or wash out the tiny plants. We also re-use the Hershey syrup bottles with plain water in them.  Tomorrow I will post the rest about transplanting the broccoli.  It got late and I wasn't able to finish taking pictures...  Today is March 16, We transplanted the Waltham 29 into their second homes.  They had become so big I had to use larger containers.   I could have gotten away with the ones you see above but would have had to transplant again within 2 weeks. So I used the next size up.  It's supposed to snow maybe 5 inches tonight.  I was so looking forward to the ground finally drying out and warming up.  The snow won't last though, we are going to get rain right after it.  That could spell lots of ice. 

MARCH 19:  The Waltham Broccoli in the first picture moved to their new homes.  For size comparison, the wooden box on the far right is a coke bottle carrier.  This is only 16 days since they were potted up on March 3.  30 plants made the move.  The weather here has been deplorable.  If it isn't raining it is snowing.  No matter what it does the thermometer is pegged on 30 degrees...My garden is a soggy mess that is frozen 4 inches under the muck.  These homes should suffice till the ground becomes workable.  

Did you notice the masking tape around the top of the pots.?  I put it there to hold the plants upright so they wouldn't topple over (they are all taped together).  I didn't want to use the large trays for them.  Using the Styrofoam trays I am able to move the plants away from the light source when their leaves start to touch the lights.

The picture on the left is our light set up for raising our plants.We recycled a bakers rack we found discarded behind a restaurant.  The shelves are not adjustable so we raise and lower the plants with boards and other things we have in the barn.

It's a little early to discuss pest control for Brassicas but I thought it would give you time to think about how you are going to tackle them.  Our means  to combat the cabbage worms is to use "BT".  We do so very carefully.  "BT" is supposed to be environmentally friendly, but a warning.  When using it you should wear a mask or make sure the wind isn't blowing.  The conditions in your lungs are the same conditions this bacteria likes to grow. 

It is not dangerous to eat the vegetables after they have been sprayed.   It is effective on all caterpillars.  You do not want to use it on flowers or vegetables which are eaten by beneficial insects which start their lives out as a caterpillar.

BT does have a draw back.  If you have a rain or a heavy dew you will have to respray.  The moisture washes the bacteria off the plant.  The best time to spray is after the morning dew is evaporated.

The advantage of this spray is, you do not need to use it until you see the worms.  So if you don't have them don't spray.

Bacillus thuringiensis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

May you not have any ground hogs in your neighborhood...they adore Broccoli.

Break the circle of death,

Break all plastic circles.

 For more blogs by me, visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting,

but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,

New blog, tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.

New Blog about dolls.

http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/
Not a garden blog. 
There are articles which have nothing to do

with creating or gardening.
There are blogs on the new born baby kittens
we found and mothered.

It is a blog where I voice my opinions which will always be environmentally friendly.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own.
Credit has been given to contributions not my own.
Please do not use without permission.



EGGPLANT

This blog will be updated with each change in the Eggplants we are growing (sprouting through their first transplanting).  I will add any information which is helpful in raising Eggplants Organically as it becomes available.

I am growing four varieties of eggplants this year.  Hopefully this will be the year I convince my hunny eggplant is delicious,
 not just beautiful.

LEFT:   Eggplant flower

UPDATES:
Feb 16,  Feb 21, Feb 22, Feb 24, Feb 26, 
Feb 27 
The eggplants we'll be growing this year:

MELANZANA ROTONDA BIANCA SFUMATA DI ROSA:
La Semiorto Sementi (New England Seed) Produced and packed in Italy.  2007. This is the only eggplant seed I proofed because of it's age.  Put to proof 20 seeds February 3, 2013, Two sprouted February 14, today 02/15 one more sprouted.   I am planting 40 seeds.  I hope I get at least 4 plants.  This is a fantastically flavored eggplant with very few seeds. (There were several 100 seeds in package pd $3.49)

ROSA BIANCA:   Gurney's Seeds 2013  I think this is probably the same eggplant as the above.  I ordered it because at the time I placed my order I had not proofed my seeds.  The package says seed was grown in the USA.     Planting 6 seeds, I want 4 plants. (package said 30 seeds and that is what I received, pd $2.99).

ASWAD:  Baker Creek Seeds, 2012.  Never planted this variety.   Last years seed, planting  12 seeds I would like to have 6 plants (Package said 25 seeds, I received 70+ seeds  pd $3.00)

DIAMOND:  Baker Creek Seeds, 2012.  Never planted this variety.  Last years seed, planting 12 seeds would like 6 plants. The package states this is a mild dark purple 6"-9" x 2"-3" slender fruit of superb flavor and firm flesh.  (package stated 25 seeds, I received 69 seeds, pd $2.00) 

EGGPLANT FLOWER WITH A FRIENDLY VISITOR



PLANTED
FEB 15          DATE       DATE       DATE        DATE       DATE       DATE        DATE       DATE
                     FEB 21     Feb 22        Feb 24       Feb 26        Feb 27       Mar 2 
DI ROSA                                            7/40          17/40         19/40        21/40

BIANCA                                                               0/6            0/6      

ASWAD         7/12       8/12               8/12           9/12          9/12           9/12



DIAMOND    4/12                             5/12           4/12          9/12           10/12

February 21, 2013:  I didn't check the seeds last night (they had been checked at 6 AM on the 20th).  This morning they were already an inch high and very lacking in chlorophyll.  They have been put under a light source to start manufacturing it.  I am using a goose neck lamp with a 60 watt bulb right now.  It's too early to run down and stick them under the grow lights in the barn. 

Six days and they sprouted.  The seed is 2 years old and eggplants.  I didn't expect anything for at least 10 days.  The temp in the propagation box was a steady 80 degrees for the last 4 days.  The first two days it was 75 degrees.  I couldn't get the temps any higher, I switched to a smaller Styrofoam containers so there would be less room for the yogurt maker to heat.  The heat from the bulb, not just the light, will be beneficial in their growth.  Egg plants do not like to be cold.  It stunts their growth. 

When I put them under the grow lights I will put a regular people heating pad under them on low so they will have heat coming up from below.  The room is only about 65 degrees.  They will not be set directly on the mat they will be on a cookie cooling rack that I filched from the kitchen.  Sitting on the mat the heat would be concentrated and too warm even if it were set on the lowest setting.  Yes, heat mats for plants are available but I have a heating pad.  I just have to be more attentive, monitoring how hot this one gets because it doesn't have a thermostat to turn it off or down.

Stress of cold, uneven watering, even transplanting can cause eggplant to be stunted resulting in decreased production.  You want the plant to be growing quickly, keeping a nice green stalk.

February 22, 2013:  Slow but sure.  I sure hope the other two sprout soon.   Just in case you are not reading the blog about broccoli:   http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/2013/02/broccoli.html 
I will post about a change in procedure I am using.  Yesterday  I discovered a better way than using the plastic wrap for wrapping the trays.   There is a zip lock bag which has a glide closure and the bottom of the bag is a box flap.  The zipper allow easy access to the bag, and the box bottom allows for three of my plastic trays to fit in a gallon size.

The chlorosis cleared up after 10 hours under the lights and they didn't get any leggier.

February 24,  2013:  Being I was planting so few seeds I decided to divide the containers and plant two varieties in one tray.  I had not taken into account that different varieties germinate at different times.  Then you add into the equation the age of the seed and you have a totally different circumstances.  I placed the Bianca in with the DI Rosa.  The older seed has surprised me and sprouted first.  My new seed from Gurney's has not sprouted at all.  I thought the new seed would have sprouted before the other one. I did not proof the new seed but I did proof the DI Rosa because it was from 2007.  See above seed description at top of blog.   These planted in the soil less mix have started sprouting in 9 days.  I am so pleased with the results and the longevity of this seed. 

The problem I have now is the Gurney seed has not sprouted.  The tray has to be out so the other  side can get light.  I am having to keep the surface more moist so they have the best possible chance to germinate.  They also are only about 72 degrees not the 80 in the propagation chamber.

If we don't have any catastrophes I have enough of the Aswad and the Diamond sprouted.  If any more sprout they will be more than welcomed, but if they don't we will be fine.  Especially if I can't get Hunny to consume them.

February 26:  The Gurney seed still hasn't sprouted.  It has been eleven days.  Some sources say up to 21 days for germination.  But you can see the other varieties have sprouted. I have plenty of plants of the other varieties but wanted to try the Bianca to see if it was the same as the Di Rosa.   I've had an admirable showing from the New England seeds which are already 6 years old.  We are almost to 50% germination.  (the proofing showed just under 50%)  I will be saving this seed and proofing it again next year.  Proofing will tell me the viability of the seed and how many I have to plant to get the number of seedlings I need.

If you do not know about proofing seed I blogged about it here:
http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/2013/02/proofing-seeds.html

In your reading about Eggplant culture I don't know if you have learned about the importance to keeping eggplant plants warm during their growing out.  In fact through their whole life.  We baby our seedlings to the point where we make a small "green houses" inside our green house and put a heat source on the bottom so the roots stay warm.  This is like a playpen for the plants.  (A playpen would be fabulous to use if you could find one at a garage sale..all you would have to do is put a heat pad in the bottom and make a rack above it to sit the plants on and then throw a sheet of plastic over it to keep the heat in.)  We just use a wooden pallet to sit the plants above the heat source and make sides from what ever resource we have and cover it with plastic. 

February 27:  When I watered the seedlings last night I notice I have some new sprouts.  I was thrilled the oldest seed was nearing 50% germination.  (the only problem with this is I will have to find homes for the ones I can't use).   The other two seeds, which were from last year,  are at 75% germination.  I am very disappointed that the new seed from Gurneys is not germinating and it has been given an ideal environment.  I just called Gurney's and they were extremely nice.  I explained my predicament and they took care of the situation.

MARCH 2:  Today is moving day.  Will be writing a separate blog for the seedlings.  Only the Rosa Bianca did not grow I am pleased with the other seeds.  This is the new blog about the repotting:
http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/2013/03/eggplant-transplanting.html

 Baker Creek packages stated the following: to sew seeds indoors 8-12 weeks before last frost. Most species are from Africa or India. They can be surface sewn. ( I have always planted them 1/4 inch deep.)  The seeds could take up to 3 weeks to germinate. Other sources say Germination is 7-14 days.  In my propagation chamber it is usually is closer to 7 days for eggplant.

 ABOVE: PURPLE RAIN EGGPLANT 

This eggplant was very prolific.  The eggplants were small usually around 4 inches long or less.  flavor very mild. I found the skins very tough.

The eggplants here were  grown in our green house in 2007.  It was a very successfully endeavor..

MY ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR SEED STARTING

Clockwise from 12 o'clock:   Roll of plastic wrap; wax paper sheets; scissors; glue stick, plastic container; notebook, glasses, pen, chop stick;  bag of moistened seeding mix; paper towels select-a-size

Center:  ultra fine point sharpie, tweezers, (the wax paper cut into sheets and folded into pockets)

I can't stress enough how important it is you make a paper chart while you are working.  Record pertinent info and maybe even info you don't consider relevant. 

When I open a packet of seeds I count them.  Then I put them in a wax paper pocket on which I have written on the outside with the ultra fine point sharpie the package info (the variety, the company, the year, and the number of seeds left after I use them.)  Then I put the little packet inside the package which they originally were in.  This keeps seeds from falling out of the package. 

We use all sorts of plastic inserts for planting, even the covered take out containers (the ones with clear lids).  The only prerequisite is they be deep enough to allow space when the seeds sprout. You don't need much room above the dirt, maybe 1/2 inch to an inch. 

February 27:  While planting my peppers I found the ideal container for starting a few seeds in.  My "activia " containers with their edge cut off.  5 seeds fit comfortably in them. 

Before you fill your container make sure you make a label and attach it to the container. At the same time record all information ( I.E. planting date, variety, seed company, seed age, how many seeds planted)

Press the wet soil less medium into the bottom of the plastic containers.  Then use the tweezers to pick up and lay the seeds on top of the medium.  After your seeds are in place go back with your chop stick, which has been marked with the proper planting depth,  and poke the seeds into the medium.

CHOPSTICK MARKED WITH 1/4 MEASUREMENT

February 27:  While reading through this blog after I wrote the seedling additions I realized I had never explained the importance to starting your seeds in a soil less mix.  There are many bacterias and fungus present in regular soil.  The germination temps are high for eggplant and this encourages the growth of these critters as well as your eggplants.  They love to establish homes on little plants.  You could use regular soil but are taking a chance on raising the plants to maturity.  Another draw back to soil is it packs and the seeds have to fight their way to the surface.  It is also difficult to keep consistent moisture  on the surface.

After the seeds are pressed into the medium I use the other end of the chopstick and lightly tamp the soil less mix over the seeds.  Next I cover the container with plastic wrap and put it in our propagation chamber.  In the following blog I explain how we made our propagation chamber.  Scroll down about half way on the blog.

February 27:  Another thing I have found that is a big help is the use of those zippered bags with the box bottoms.  They accommodate my containers well, and it is easy to open the bag to check for germination.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/2010/02/diary-of-day.html

Our Propagation Chamber ( a 28" x 18" x 16" Styrofoam cooler) has two yogurt makers in it.  I only have one on and the temperature is staying right at 80 degrees F with the lid closed.

Eggplants we have grown in the past:

ROSITA:  fruits are about 1 - 1 1/2 cup size.  the flesh is pure white.  They are usually a little pinker than this.  The flea Beatles seemed to enjoy them more than the other varieties.  They were not as prolific as other eggplants we have grown.  We will give them a second chance because they were so delicious.

BRIDE:  for us these were a very lackadaisical in taste eggplant.  The flesh was firm with hardly any seeds.  They were prolific.  The largest eggplant was maybe 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.

KAMO: wow what an eggplant.  The only problem with it is it isn't large enough.  it has extremely firm flesh with a slight green coloring.  very very mild.  Seemed less susceptible to the flea beetles.  It grows on extremely large 3+ feet plants.

PING TUNG:  The flavor of this eggplant was okay.  The plants were scrawny, not very leafy.  It wasn't very prolific.  when cooked the flesh went to mush immediately, and the skins were tough.  They were a couple inches long to 7 inches long and were only an inch through.  We won't be planting these again.



For more blogs by me, visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting,

but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,

New blog, tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.

New Blog about dolls.

http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/

Not a garden blog. 

There are articles which have nothing to do

with creating or gardening.

There are blogs on the new born baby kittens

we found and mothered.

It is a blog where I voice my opinions which will always be environmentally friendly.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own.

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.

Please do not use without permission.



PROOFING SEEDS

Edited February 14, 2013
Edited February 18, 2013
Edited February 24, 2013
Proofing Seeds saves money and time.  I was late starting the gardening for this year and ordering seeds.  I went ahead and ordered new seeds of varieties I had in the larder. I didn't want to be without.  I now wish I had proofed my seeds.  For example, after proofing my seeds last week I discovered I had viable sugar snap peas in enough quantities to suit my gardening needs for this year.  I had just receive a seed order where I had spent $8.99 for my snap peas.  I did not have to spend that money.  Needless to say these will be set aside for next year's garden.

Another advantage to proofing seeds is you won't waste time planting seeds which won't grow.  On seeds with a low germination rate you know how many to sow to make sure you have good germination.  You won't be disappointed a week later with nothing coming up.

If you are wondering how to proof seeds it is very simple.  If you keep your house at 72 degrees the heat requirement is satisfied (if your house is very cool you will want to have them on top of a water heater or other nice warm area). 

You'll need:

a roll of select the size paper towels

Sharpie fine point not ultra fine,

plastic bags (not the kind with the zippers, just a plain fold over top sandwich bag).

a  plate with sloped edges

old detergent bottle with the nozzle cap (a cream pitcher works too)
 

The object is to have the seeds in a moist, dark, warm environment.

I usually proof 10 seeds in each packet  (unless there is a limited amount of seeds).  The reason for ten is you can get a percentage when they sprout, I.E. if you have 10 seeds in the packet and 8 of them sprout you have 80% viability.  If you only have 2 sprout you only have 20%, which is pretty poor. 

Take a plastic bag for each seed packet you are going to proof.  Use your sharpie to write on the outside of the bag the information on the seed packet.  I.E. the name of the variety of seed, and the year it was produced for.

This is the time I want to say, when your seed order arrives, make sure the date on the back of the packets say, produced or packed for the current year.  I have a friend who received seed this year from a respected company that had a sticker saying it was packed for 2012..and on the bottom of the package in the fine print was that it was packed for 2010.  I have purchased old seed before but knew it was old seed and the company took the responsibility to proof the seeds before it left their building so I knew my percentage of viability.  The only reason we even noticed was because I was showing her about proofing seeds and told her, on new seed she didn't have to do it. I also explained there were charts available on line which told how long seeds of different varieties were viable. So we were reading the backs of packets and voila, the new that was old seed, reared its head.

How to proof your seed:

On a plate place a select -a-size towel.

Dampen with water.  Not sopping wet but very wet not just damp.

The seeds will absorb some of the water.

Place your seeds on the towel.  Then fold it into a little packet.

 

Pick the packet up and put it in the labeled plastic bag.

(Give a squeeze  before you do to make sure you don't have water running out of the towel. 
If you do, squeeze out the excess.  You only want the packet nicely wet...not sopping.)

I store my packages in a plastic box in a warm place.  You can see the seeds already in my storage box.  Any take out container works.

The box is then stuck in a brown paper bag to exclude the light.

You also need a pen and paper for compiling list of the seeds you are proofing.

The seed company listed as Mine OP stands for seed I saved and it was open pollinated.
This is how I made my list from this year and my results:

COMPANY              YEAR         VARIETY                DATE      DATE     DATE   DATE DATE

                                                                                         2-03          2-07         2-09     2-14    2-16

 

RISPENS SEED          10       SPARTAN ARROW                       10/10      10/10

                                                    BUSH BEANS

 

SHUMWAY                 07       EXPERIMENTAL                           4/10        8/10        

                                                    BUSH PEA

 

PINETREE                   10       SNAP PEA                                       9/10      9/10         

                                                 SUPER SUGAR SNAP

NEW ENGLAND SD O8   MELANZANA ROMANESCO          0/20      0/20        2/20     5/20  
(this seed is from Italy and the fruit was fantastic.  Even with horrible germination I will plant it)
February 18:  This is a note not to give up on old seed.  Today there are 4 more seeds sprouting in this variety.  I give seeds at least a week past when they should have sprouted, unless the seeds have obiously rotted.  Eggplants which are fresh seed have a sprouting window of 7-21 days.   This seed was planted February 03.  Today is well with in the 21 days.

               

SHUMWAY  A            08      LIMA SPECKLED                                 0/10       0/10

                                                 CHRISTMAS

 

 

"     "            " B             "         "            "        "                                         "             "

 

GURNEYS                   07       DWARF GRAY SUGAR                     10/10     10/10

 

SHUMWAY                 07       SUPER SUGAR SNAP                         6/10       7/10

 

SHUMWAY                 08       MAMMOTH MELTING SUGAR        2/10       2/10

 

SHUMWAY    UNKNOWN   TENDERGREEN BUSH                      2/10       2/10

                                                   EXPERIMENTAL

 

PINETREE                   10        JADE GREEN BUSH BEAN               7/10      7/10
   
SCHEEPERS               07        QUADRATO D'ASTI ROSSA             0/05        0/5       0/5
                                                          SWEET PEPPER                               Februar 24 2/5

 

MINE OP   harvested 12(Fall)   SPARTAN ARROW                         10/10      10/10

                                                    PERFECT SEED

 

MINE OP     ""     ""         ""     SPARTAN ARROW                             9/10       9/10
                                                  IMPERFECT SEED

MINE OP    """             11        COMPOST GOLD TOMATO  WET    0/10       8/10    8/10
                                                                                                                     February 24   9/10

 

MINE OP    """             11          COMPOST GOLD TOMATO  DRY  0/10       0/10    2/10

The above two tomatoes were from a plant which grew in the compost pile.  We had never planted a small yellow cocktail tomato.  It was extremely sweet, did not crack when it rained, very prolific not an extremely large plant like indeterminate cocktail plants usually are.  The plant set fruit after the nights went below 50 degrees.    The leaves never succumbed to the diseases that were prevalent that year.  The tomato labeled wet was the one we fermented the seed.  The label dry, was fruit retrieved off the plant that had dried on the plant.

 

MINE OP   ""    ""    "" 12        ACONCQUA PEPPER                         0/10       7/10

                                                  HARVESTED FROM GREEN HOUSE

 

We planted some of these pepper plants in the green house because the ground hogs were destroying our garden.  Due to the extreme heat they did not bear till after august. We were unsure if the seed would be save-able.  (The original seed was purchased from Pinetree Seeds.)

 

The results of this test don't just show me the viability of the seed.  They show me how fast they sprout.  Which is nice to know, especially on tomato and pepper seeds.  I am so anxious for everything to sprout so it keeps the stress out of the gardening.

February 18,  BTW the container you store your little plastic parcels in will have a strange fementing/yeasty smell when you open it.  Nothing is wrong it's natural.

February 24:  I was getting ready to throw away the contents of the box and decided to look and see if there had been any changes in the packages.  Much to my delight is the Scheepers pepper seed had sprouted.  2/5 This is a good enough percentage to plant it.  the test shows me I will just have to be patient for it to sprout.  ( I haven't checked the seeds for 4 days) It seems they took between 15-20 days to sprout.

 

What have I done with my seed because of the results of this test?  I have thrown away the speckled limas, the mammoth melting sugar, and the tender green experimental.  I have also thrown away the "compost gold dry". 

 

I was surprised the  07 Gurney's dwarf gray sugar had a 100% germination.  I know planting them in the ground probably won't give the 100% but it was nice to know I will have a high response when they go in the ground (if the ground isn't too cold and wet!)  I think we will put some in the green house this week and see what happens.  WE have done it before:

This blog shows the last time we planted them.

 

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2008/12/little-bit-of-spring.html
 

Good luck, have fun with your garden.  Read and google everything you can.  Glean what you think will work for you from the knowledge you harvest.  Remember what works for someone else may not work for you.  If it doesn't, work with what you have and try something new. 

Gardens thrive on attention, a good food and water.

 

 

For more blogs by me, visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,

New blog, tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.

New Blog about dolls.

 

 

 

 

http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/

Not a garden blog. There are articles which have nothing to do with creating or gardening.

There are blogs on the new born baby kittens we found and mothered.

It is a blog where I voice my opinions which will always be environmentally friendly.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own.

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.

Please do not use without permission.