Really Old Seeds --Day 10 and Strawberry cage!

Things have changed - they don't smell so bad any more and the peas and beans that plumped up with water shrivels up again. Rather than being slimy they have become fuzzy.

Here ends the Really Old Seed Experiment. All the seeds have been dumped in the compost and their packages in the recycling. *sigh* A most depressing end.

In Other news most of the viable seeds are growing! We've had some cold weather in Vancouver, BC of late and that's slowed thing down a fair bit. But the carrots in the cold frame have sprouted which has made my garden helper sprout very happy.

Here's a picture of our latest garden creation. The squirrels like to eat ripe strawberries almost as much as us, so to protect our berries we made this cage. My husband used left over wood from our deck rails and some chicken wire. He's awesome!

Really Old Seeds --Day 6

Something got into the seeds, probably a squirrel. The squirrels are the reason I usually sprout seeds inside, because any seeds planted outside will be eaten. They like the seeds, but not seedlings.

Even though the squirrel, or whatever the critter was, torn up the paper towel, and messed up the seeds, I don't think it took any. Which says something more about these seeds, not only do they smell weird, are slimy they are not good enough for critters to eat. hhhmmmmm....We'll give it a few more days though, I think becuase some of the seeds are slow starters the carrots for example. I had more hopes for the cucumber and zucchini, but there's nothing.

Really Old Seeds --Day 4

There's been a change! The peas and bean seeds have taken on a very slimy appearance!

The smell has dissipated somewhat and is now reminiscent of when you open the fridge door and there's a faint smell of 'something' gone off, but you can't be sure and you don't know what it is.

Usually, by day four with viable peas and beans their seeds have taken on a very spermatozoa look. This has not happened. There is no spouty-rooty-tail or anything from the seeds. I think they're just going to rot.

Meanwhile, I've had a lot of luck sprouting some Cosmos and Hollyhock Flowers and a perennial wild onion by the same damp paper towel method. Still waiting for the Mandrake to sprout... but they're slow.

I planted some Mandrake seeds last year and got a few good plants - but the squirrels ate the roots. I hope it didn't drive them mad.

Really Old Seeds --Day 3

Still no change in the seeds appearance. They haven’t sprouted yet, but the smell has gotten a lot worse. I don’t think that’s a good sign. I wish I could describe the smell adequately, but I really can’t.

The smell was so bad last night, even though they are covered in plastic wrap, that I had to move them outside so we could eat dinner without gagging.

There’s a lot of bad smells in the world, garbage and baby poo come to mind. This doesn’t compare. There’s a place in Vancouver, BC along Powell Street where used outhouses are stored and when you drive by on a hot sunny day, that smell is pretty bad. The smell coming from these seeds is pretty close to that smell –rot and outhouse.

I think what’s so amazing about this smell is that it’s a total surprise from this platter of seemingly innocent seeds. It’s so unexpected when you lift off the plastic that the shock can floor you.

I happen to have other seeds, ones I know to be viable, sitting in damp paper towel covered in plastic sitting nearby. These do not smell. Nothing, Nada, no smell that is eternal bog of stench worthy. I point this out in case you’ve never started seeds and damp paper towels and are thinking – maybe that’s what seeds do – stink. Nope, they don’t.

This really old seed experiment might just be dead in the water. Really stinky seeds, as said, probably not a good sign.

Really Old Seeds --Day 2

No real change in appearance - but they're starting to smell. BAD!

Really Old Seeds --Day 1

So we found these old seeds in the garage. They are at minimum 20+ years old. So the questions is, are they still viable? We're going to find out and we're going to record it HERE! at Bin Gardening, my little container Gardening Blog. Welcome!

Day one of the Really Old Seeds Experiment has begun. Last night I labelled all the seed packs with numbers and then laid them out on damp paper towel.

There are multiple packets of Similar or the same seeds - beans, peas and carrots for example. So each packet is numbered so we can track which packet of seeds is more viable, if viable at all.

All the seeds have been laid out. Most of the seeds are veggie seeds, and there are a few marigolds. There is also an unlabelled envelope with seeds that no one in my family recognizes. We're hoping that it is viable, so we can find out what sort of seed it is.

This morning, I checked on the seeds. The Peas, Beans, beets, and corn have all swelled with water. This is a good sign. the rest look pretty much the same, as they probably should.

REALLY OLD SEEDS

In the garage we found some really old seeds. They're probably 20 or more years old.

Look at the prices on these packages? 39cents, 69, 59! That's insane.


So here's the experiment. We're going to try to grow these seeds. I'm going to start them in damp newspaper they way we did when we were kids at school to grow beans and the like. I remember starting some beans at school one year. I was probably in grade four and the teacher put them in a cupboard. I have no idea why, she just did and them we all forgot about them. Until they literally, over one weekend, pushed their way out of the cupboard. On Monday morning the cupboard doors were slightly ajar from these plants that we all legging a long. They had all grown towards the crack in the door and we all pushing to get out of the crack. Totally creepy.

But that has nothing to do with this. So moving on. Going to start this 20+ year old seeds and see what grows.