PREP What Sale Priced Seeds Are Good Buy?

[Barry Natchitoches]

I am finding local seeds going on sale now.


Out at a farmer's co-op a few counties over, I saw half pound and pound packages of corn, bean, and other seeds at half price. So that's like a pound of sweet corn or green beans or southern peas or whatever for $3 to $4, depending on the specific seed.


How long will corn seed last? Beans? Southern peas?


I'll drive by there again on Friday or Saturday, and am wondering if I should stop and pick some up.

 

[summerthyme]

Barry... sweet corn has quite a short shelf life. IF the seed tested high germination rates for this year, it should still be ok for next year. After that... it may be iffy (you can test germ rates yourself).

Beans and peas seem to last at least 5 years under reasonable storage conditions.

Summerthyme

 

[PilotFighter]

I have planted Contender Green bean, silver queen corn, and Mississippi purple hull seeds that have been at least 5 years old or better, and all did fairly well. Although I do vacuum seal them and drop them into a 1 gallon paint can for storage and seal them. I screwed up a half dozen years ago, and bought 8 oz. of cabbage seed from my local feed store, I'm still growing cabbage from them, and will for the next 50 years looks like. Every year they still do pretty good.

 

[Nuthatch]

Truth is, depends on where and how they were stored and how you plan to store them. Fresher is always better. I have some I keep in a cool dark dry place....and beans at 5 years have a low germination rate....low enough I don't know why I bothered planting them. But 2 years seemed ok---course the rabbits got into some of them (which were really a decoy for them, so I guess it worked).

I wouldn't get carried away unless I was going to extend a growing season this year too.