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Gardening
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 21/03/2008, 11:23
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valB
Joined on 21/11/2007
Posts 132
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Hello all you experts out there !!!!! I have found a packet of carrot seeds bought in UK two years ago and passed the sale by date. Would I be wasting my time planting and sitting waiting for them to grow ? Also, the pack contains lettuce, spring onion, and radish seeds as well and as it was cheap I don't mind too much if I have to bin them.
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21/03/2008, 11:32
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Russethouse
 
Joined on 23/08/2004
Forum Moderator
Posts 9,483
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My gardening motto is: its got two chances, do or die. What have you got to lose ? All the same maybe I wouldn't rely on them as an only planting, perhaps an additional one?
www.quimperclub.org
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21/03/2008, 12:16
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Tony F Dordogne
Joined on 10/04/2005
Small village in the Dordogne, near St Cyprien
Posts 1,409
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Val, I grow veggies in three gardens on an industrial scale - put them in, see what happens, I use seeds much older than those and get great levels of germination, if you're really unsure head for your local brico shed, buy a 99c bucket and put them in the bucket - with compost of course - then you wont use up garden space..
Tony F
Dordogne (24)
Huguenot Trails
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21/03/2008, 15:50
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dragonrouge
Joined on 08/02/2008
Posts 60
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As Tony rightly states most seeds have about three or more years life perhaps more. Save for parsnip which you should always use fresh each year and my tip and this is from Sarah Raven is to grow them initially as with carrots and beetroot in plastic guttering and then just slip them into the trench in the garden.
This year in the Vendee have leased a huge plot and I thought it would not be possible to fill it. However looking at the stuff already in and under cover my eyes are bigger than my belly and I will run out of space. Hence envy and Tony's three plots.
I have forced true Jersey Royal seed pots under cover and perhaps within a month we will have the first picking.
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21/03/2008, 18:10
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valB
Joined on 21/11/2007
Posts 132
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Thank you all so much for your replies and great ideas and I will certainly have a go in buckets and anything else I can find hanging around...why did I not think of that ? Dragonrouge, if you are growing Jersey spuds please tell me where you live and I will be round for a meal as I just love them. Many years ago I lived in Portsmouth and I used to go to where they unloaded them and they would always "drop" a bag. It would split open and we were ready with our bags and could fill them very quickly. I planted a lot of veggies last year but lost a lot due to the wet weather but I will persevere.
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21/03/2008, 21:54
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hoverfrog
Joined on 18/10/2004
87
Posts 623
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seeds can last for a lot longer - they succeeded in germinating wheat (I think it was) from several thousand years ago!
I'm still using my Dad's seed-box up - he died in 2004. So far no failures, even parsnips. Just keep the seeds dry and that's it! I would've said keep at a reasonable temperature too, but I leave my seed-box out in the workshop where plants in pots freeze, so as long as they're dry I don't think it matters.
www.veytisou.com
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22/03/2008, 10:49
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Russethouse
Joined on 23/08/2004
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22/03/2008, 12:20
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valB
Joined on 21/11/2007
Posts 132
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Yes, that is wht I thought so I will concentrate on my seeds first and worry about plants later.
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France Forum » Leisure and Pas... » Gardening » seeds
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