Better Seed Storage

You bought seeds, you planted 5 squares of carrots, 2 squares of radish, 6 squares of lettuce and now what are you going to do with the remaining 600 seeds?

How you store your seeds determines how viable the seeds are the next time you want to plant that variety.  (Viable just means how well they germinate.)

To test the germination rate, get a damp paper towel, put 10 seeds in it, fold the papertowel over and put it in a ziplock bag. Let it sit for a few days (actually, as long as the germination time listed on the seed packet). Then you check and see how many sprouted.  If only 30% (3 seeds) sprouted you might as well just get another packet of seeds. Seed Germination video link

The way I've been storing my seeds is to open the seed packet, pour all my seeds into a tiny plastic bag - you can find them at the Plastic Bag store and the craft stores in the bead sections. I label my tiny bags and then put them back into the seed packets.

You need an air tight, dark, cool spot to store the seeds. If you have an old ceramic canister with a seal (like those used to store flour and sugar on a counter top), you can use that. If you don't have one, just go to Goodwill and you can find them for a very good price. That is where I got mine when I decided I needed a better way to store my seeds last year.

Anywhere in your house is a good place to keep the seeds because we do heat and cool to keep it comfortable for us. The nice thing about using a ceramic container it is much harder to put the seeds in a safe place where you can't find them next time you want them.

Thursday was a Gorgeous Day

The weather for Thursday was absolutely gorgeous! You couldn't have asked for better for a workday. Pollen was bearable, temperatures were perfect and it was sunny. We made a dent in the list of tasks to do this month but there is still plenty more to do.

Almost a third of the garden has had a fresh layer of mulch spread on it and it is starting to look really nice. Another couple of piles of mulch and we'll be weed free - except for pesky onions and the occasional intruder. Thanks to everyone who came out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday AND Thursday to help spread the mulch.

Bridget working hard on the mulch

Please come out to join us on Saturday!

With lots of hard work all week from many dedicated
people and the mulch crew on Thursday, this is all
 that was left of the huge pile we got on Monday.



Vicki weeding, weeding weeding

Lisa and Bridget moving and spreading mulch

Digging for Gold!
Actually, sifting the dirt pile and removing
earth worms before moving the dirt over
to the compost pile to finish composting.

Carol and Sandra doing hard labor planting
rose bushes around the sign.