FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THE WEEK OF JANUARY 8, 2006

USING OLD GARDEN SEED

Seed catalogs seem to come earlier every year and many gardeners already have a collection of them. Garden seed can be expensive and you may want to consider using seed from previous years. Seed stores best if kept in a cold, dark, dry location. We normally consider seed will stay viable for about 3 years under these conditions though there are exceptions. For example, members of the carrot family (carrots, parsnips, and parsley) are short-lived and are usually good for only 1 to 2 years. If you are unsure of viability and have plenty of seed, there is an easy method of determining how good your seed is. Place 10 seeds on a moistened paper towel (use warm water) and cover with a second moistened towel. Roll up the towels and place inside a plastic bag with enough holes for air exchange but not so many that the towels dry quickly. Place the bag in a warm place such as the top of the refrigerator. Remoisten towels with warm water as needed. Check after the first week for germination. Remove the sprouted seed and check again after another week. Add these numbers together to determine the percent germination.

PESTICIDE RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS

Certified private applicators of federally restricted use pesticides are required by law to keep records of the application for two years following the application.

The records must include the following seven points:

There is no required Federal form to maintain these records on, but we do have some booklets developed for this purpose in our office.