Winter To-Do List: seed viability

Last week I posted about attending iLandscape trade show which was on my winter to-do list. This week I’m starting a series of helpful tips on what YOU and I can both do right now to be better prepared for spring. 

If you are a gardener like me, you may have seeds left over from last year (or the year before, maybe more). Are they still good?  Should I invest the time/effort to plant them?  I just conducted a “germination viability test” on some mustard green seeds leftover from my vegetable garden two years ago. “Viability” refers to the ability of seeds to germinate and grow into healthy plants under favorable conditions. 

My cover photo shows my final test results:  you can see 10 out of 10 germinated, or 100% viability which gives me confidence to plant the rest of that batch of seeds in spring and to expect a bountiful harvest. I’ll show you the easy steps…you can do this with either vegetable or flower seeds. 

First, place a few seeds on a moist paper towel (photo 2), fold the towel over (photo 3), then place into a zip lock bag or other airtight container (photo 4). Be sure to label and date your experiment. 

Then, keep the seeds in a warm, well-lit area and monitor for germination over the next few days. Record the percentage of seeds that germinate. A high germination rate indicates good seed viability. If your rate is down in the 50%-60% range, consider throwing 2 seeds into each hole this spring. Much below that, I’d throw them out. 

Seed viability testing is a proactive step you can take with your leftover seeds now, setting the stage for a vibrant and flourishing garden this spring/summer. Let me know if you’ve got questions on seed viability testing!