Testing

One of the problems with gardening on a small scale, like I do, is that every package of seeds you buy has 20 times more seed than you need for a season. I think peas and carrots are the only seeds I've ever managed to use up. The same goes for plants. I don't need 75 onions or 25 asparagus crowns, but it's hard to buy those items in smaller quantities. One way to deal with this is sharing. When I start seeds indoors, I always plant more than I need, so my mom gets the extra broccoli, cabbage and kale starts for her garden. I've given extra onion plants to a co-worker. Even so, in perusing my seed stash for the year, it appears I don't need to buy very many.

I noticed this year that the oldest seeds I have are beet seeds that I bought in 2013. I'm no expert on how long seeds last, but it seemed wise to test these three-year-old seeds so I'm not disappointed later on. I put a few of them in a small container with some water...

and then I looked for a safe, warm spot. We're in the middle of some serious cold, and the temperature in the house varies widely, so I wanted them fairly close to a vent.

They are now tucked under my bathroom counter. The dogs don't go into the bathroom, and they should be far enough back that we won't kick them when we're brushing our teeth. I just need to remember they're there when I vacuum.