A Seed's Life

What You Can Do

Make it a point to always buy your seed from a reliable supplier. After all, if you're going to spend months toiling in the garden, you want the results to be more than just okay. You want to grow terrific tomatoes, marvelous melons, perfect peppers, and peas that will turn the neighbors green with envy.

The better seed catalogs will list how often germination tests are run, under what conditions seed is stored, and what trials (if any) were conducted. If it's not in the catalog, give the company a call.

A reliable seed company will usually conduct germination tests every six to 12 months, even if its state requires less. Park Seed, for example, runs germination tests on its vegetables every four months, Johnny's Selected Seeds tests vegetable, flower and herb seeds every five months, and Territorial Seed Company tests across the board every six months (see " Selected Seed Suppliers "). Also, companies concerned with keeping customers happy will often guarantee their seeds.

By the way, if you answered 50% of the questions correctly, consider yourself seed-savvy. If you answered less than 50% correctly, no problem. As we all know, when it comes to gardening, there are no absolutes; you can always go back and take the test again. And remember, understanding the life of a seed can bring you a long way toward getting more life out of your seed.

Dig up information and tips on GARDENING, purchasing seed, planting techniques and storing your harvest. Log on to www.motherearthnews.com