A Deal Too Good To Pass.

[seedspreader]

I found a bunch of heirloom variety seeds for sale, packed for 2006 growing season, at a local "dollar-type" store called Dealz.

10/1.00

I have about a hundred packs of different heirloom seeds including heirloom sweet corn (golden bantam - improved 12 row).

They are only 4 gram packets, but still, cool deal.

The name on the packet is Valley Greene, but the seed is from the Page Seed Company.

[dlangland]

What a deal, Bob. You should be proud. Unfortunately, we don't have that store up here to my knowledge. Interesting. Deb

[gobug]

Zeal
Do you keep track of seed yield?
I suppose I'm wierd that way, but I bet there are other A/R gardeners out there. I plan the garden on graph paper, and mark the planting dates on the packages. I also keep a spread sheet of the seeds I have. It beats trying to have the seeds in front of me as I plan. If I plant it indoors for transplanting, it's easy to keep track of how many don't germinate.
Gary

[gobug]

For years I bought bargain seeds. But after keeping track of their performance, I gave up. So much goes into planting, planning, and hoping that a little extra money is worth it to me. I buy from Johnny's. Not at all cheap. But the size of the seedlings, the quality and vigor of the plants, and the 100% germination keep me coming back.

I will pick up some seeds from the garden bin, but I usually densely scatter plant them.

[Patty0315]

The seeds I have gotten from the $ store have done just about as well as the mail order ones for me.

[Rocky]

OMG!!! Golden Bantam Corn is considered an Heirloom??? It's all we ever planted when I was growing up. I guess that makes me either an Heirloom or an Old Fogey. LOL

[seedspreader]

Originally Posted by gobug

Zeal
Do you keep track of seed yield?
I suppose I'm wierd that way, but I bet there are other A/R gardeners out there. I plan the garden on graph paper, and mark the planting dates on the packages. I also keep a spread sheet of the seeds I have. It beats trying to have the seeds in front of me as I plan. If I plant it indoors for transplanting, it's easy to keep track of how many don't germinate.
Gary

Yes, I will be keeping track of yield, they don't seem to be cheap seed, but I suppose they could be repackaged stuff.

[MoonShine]

I bought cheaper pumpkin seeds this summer...and the yield was amazing. I couldn't believe how many produced...I guess it just depends on the brand,because I have had cheaper seeds that weren't as good in the past.
Anyways,I tested them first...soak them in water overnight,the seeds that sink are supposed to be good,toss out any that are floating on top. I'm sure it's not an exact science,though.

[SignMaker]

The reason the bad seeds float is because a bug has eaten into them and this allows air to enter the seed. Because a bubble of air in a seed wants to float, the seed will rise to the surface.

Hope this helps with the "Science" of it!

[edcopp]

Since they are heirloom seeds, you can save seed from your crop. This would be a good way to get started saving seeds. Let us know if the crop is successful.

[MaryNY]

Originally Posted by Rocky

OMG!!! Golden Bantam Corn is considered an Heirloom??? It's all we ever planted when I was growing up. I guess that makes me either an Heirloom or an Old Fogey. LOL

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - ummm - what do you suppose it means if you can remember when there wasn't any Golden Bantam? And that was my first reaction too -- OMG, Golden Bantam is an "heirloom"??!!!!!!!!

MaryNY

[kenuchelover]

Originally Posted by MaryNY

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - ummm - what do you suppose it means if you can remember when there wasn't any Golden Bantam? And that was my first reaction too -- OMG, Golden Bantam is an "heirloom"??!!!!!!!!

MaryNY

1) You need to call the Guiness Book of World Records people re your age.... since Golden Bantam was introduced 104 years ago...

2) Your memory is going (only to be expected after the first century mark)...

3) (the spoilsport version.... Burpee introduced Golden Bantam in 1902, but this doesn't mean it was immediately adopted everywhere. You could be from some part of the country where it didn't get started till later).

4) You only caught it the second time around. Golden Bantam came out as an 8-rowed corn in 1902, & while it's remained fairly popular in it's various incarnations (such as the 12 row "Improved Golden Bantam"), it suffered both as other competing yellow sweet corns came out in imitation, and as hybrid sweet corn came out, & only caught it's second wind as an "heirloom". You could have grown up in the lull, when it was around but less well known compared to other types.

So you could be very old, OR fairly young, and still not have heard of it when growing up.

[Rocky]

Hey Mary - methinks we are "birds of a feather".

[MelissaW]

Excellent! My husband had to measure a job in your area last week. I'm going to tell him to keep a lookout for that store if he has to go back next week so that he can go in and buy some before they are all gone. Thanks!

[MaryNY]

Originally Posted by Rocky

Hey Mary - methinks we are "birds of a feather".

That's what I thought, Rocky! Was nice to see someone else on here who remembers the "not-so-olden" days!! LOL

Kenuchelover - I'll take the "fifth" as to which category - but I "think" I must fit in the "in between" group. hehe

MaryNY

[MoonShine]

Originally Posted by SignMaker

The reason the bad seeds float is because a bug has eaten into them and this allows air to enter the seed. Because a bubble of air in a seed wants to float, the seed will rise to the surface.

Hope this helps with the "Science" of it!

Hey thanks...I think I read about that trick in a book but it didn't explain why it worked. Ya learn something new....

[kenuchelover]

Originally Posted by MoonShine

Hey thanks...I think I read about that trick in a book but it didn't explain why it worked. Ya learn something new....

Typically, seeds that aren't fully developed (genetic flaw or developmental/maturity issues) don't fully fill out the seed...... when it stopped developing there was still excessive moisture in the seed & not enough solids..... as it dries, this seed will (depending on the toughness & maturity of the seed coat) either shrink & develop wrinkles, OR get air spaces inside the seed.

Shrunken looking seeds are obvious immatures. Those with air spaces are less dense (you can often winnow them by blowing into a container or dropping them in a breeze, the bad seeds blow away. OR by shaking a container in a sideways motion... the less dense seeds move to the top & can be picked off). I prefer this method to dropping in water.... partly because you can do it at any time (with most seeds the water method can only be done JUST before you plant them, unless you're talking "wet seeds" like from a watermelon or tomato or squash where you can water test as you initially save them.... and it's sometimes inaccurate with them since such seeds CAN be immature & develop air spaces as you dry them down).

I'll winnow seeds to get rid of lighter ones, double checking by squeezing them (if they feel solid & don't crunch between your fingers, they'll probably germinate).

I'll sometimes use the water method WITH wet seeds while I'm washing seed cavity pulp off them (if I do at all... "some" types of squash don't need that & are better rubbed once dry to remove pulp AND the brittle cellophane like coating they have).... this CAN save a little time (by helping pinpoint potential bad seeds), but not always. But I always doublecheck.... it's WAY too easy for an air bubble on the seed (at the attachment scar, for example) or in some adhering pulp tissue to make a GOOD seed float.