The Gardener’s Dilemma

Sorting Through Seeds-Out With the Old-In With the New

It’s an annual process. Sorting through the seed bin. What do I keep, what to throw away?

It’s like an old friend. The seed container. If your a gardener you know what I mean. Each winter I open it once again to see what I may have forgotten, what I have or don’t have. After all, at this point it’s been months since I have peeked inside.

I don’t know about you, but I hate to throw seed packets away. They’re like an old friend. Immediately you think back to last year’s garden. What grew well, what didn’t. By opening that little seed container, the whole process begins again. The gardener’s renewal.

It’s time to clear the mind. Out with Christmas, the holidays, winter. Time to focus on Spring, if not just for a few minutes. I lift my eyes from the keyboard to watch the snow fall. That too is beautiful, but for now I am thinking Spring.

So how do I decide what to keep, what to save? I generally discard seeds that are more than one year old. So for this season, I will keep any packets dated 2020, and discard any from 2019 or older. I’m sure my fellow gardeners have their own criteria, I would love to hear your thinking on this.

There are exceptions. Tomato seeds, as I have researched, can stay viable for 4 to 6 years, if stored correctly. Perfect. As a tomato lover, especially heirlooms, that is great news. For me it is difficult to throw away any tomato seeds.

I store my seeds in a plastic container with a lid. Any opened packets are separated and further protected by a Ziploc bag. I keep the container in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight.

As I discard the old seeds, I start a list of what to buy for the coming season. Some old and trusted varieties, some new ones to try. It’s a whole process, one that I and I’m sure most gardeners love.

Stay tuned for more stories as the gardening season approaches.