Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Lay the seeds out to make sure they are fully dry. Keep them in a well-ventilated area out of direct
sunlight until they are completely dried. You'll know a bean or pea is dry when you can strike it
with a hammer and it shatters instead of smashing. Store in a cool location and your seeds should
be viable for a couple years.
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Weevils can destroy your seed crop if you store your own bean seeds. These worms can live inside a bean
undetected until you store the infected bean in a jar with uninfected beans. By next year you'll have no
viable seeds left and you never even knew you were under attack! If weevils are a problem in your area,
place your seeds in the freezer for at least three days before storing them to kill off any weevils. Make sure
the beans are fully dry before freezing them.
Testing Viability and Starting Seeds
Growing vegetables from seed can be a big step toward a self-sufficient backyard farm. And, as I
mentioned, it's also a huge leap forward in terms of the financial benefits. Some plants are so easy
to grow from seed that it doesn't make sense to buy them as more expensive starts.
You can test the seeds you're saving or starting to see if they are
viable,
or able to germinate
and grow into a plant. If you only have a small amount of seeds, you can test with 10 seeds.
Commercial lots are tested with 100 seeds to give a truer sample.
Most seeds can be tested through simply placing the selected number of seeds on a damp paper
towel. Cover the seeds with another damp paper towel and place them rolled up gently into a loose
bag. You want the seeds to stay damp, but not smothered—they need to breathe. Place the seeds in a
consistently warm area that stays around 75°F, depending on the specific plant you're testing. Check
your seeds every day to see how many have sprouted and rewet the paper towels if necessary. As the
seeds sprout, you can remove them and after two weeks you'll have a good estimate of the percent-
age of seeds that are viable. For example, 7 out of 10 would be a 70 percent germination rate.
Starting seeds begins with good-quality seed that has been stored well. Moisture and warmth can
trigger germination or rotting so your seed should be kept dry, cool, and out of the light until
you're ready to plant. Many seeds can be started indoors, and then the plants transplanted outdoors
when the weather is right. Other plants do best when the seeds are sown directly outdoors.
Seeds are like beach tourists—they tend to come out only when the temperature reaches 75°F or so.
That's why it's sometimes easier to start certain plants indoors. As a general rule, unless it's a plant
such as spinach, lettuce, or another fall-season veggie, you'll want to provide warmth for your seeds
to help them germinate.
No matter how you start your seeds, there are a few things that all seeds need to grow well and
develop into productive plants.
