Seed shopping in the food isle

[wifezilla]

Everyone knows you can buy seeds in those little seed packets in the garden center. But you can also get seeds from packages of food in the grocery store.

Two things I just recently tested for germination were quinoa and anasazi beans. I put some seeds on a plate between wet paper towels and waited to see if they would germinate. Within a few hours I had the beginnings of quinoa sprouts. The next morning almost all had sprouted.

It took 2 days but almost all of the anasazi beans in the paper towels also sprouted. Once I figured out they were viable seeds, I planted some of each.

I have also tested organic whole peas, mung beans and amaranth.

Testing beans and other seed items for germination rate is also a good way to see if the food you are getting is fresh. If your stuff doesn't sprout, it has probably been sitting on the shelf for a long time and you may want to buy a different brand or shop at a different store.

The potential money savings is incredible. Take the quinoa for example. A few weeks ago I bought a 2 gram package of rainbow quinoa for $1.89. A few days ago I bought a 1 lb bag of white quinoa in the grocery isle for $3.89. I bought it for food, but there is plenty in a 1 lb container for eating AND planting your entire yard and all of your neighbors'. When you consider there are 453.59237 grams per pound, you can see how buying stuff packaged as food might be something to look in to.



Have you tried to use any items packaged as food for garden seeds? What were the results?

 

[Kim_NC]

We've done the same thing with beans and peas. We've planted black beans, pintos, blackeye peas, yellow eye peas, and anasazi beans from store bought food packages. All did great.

My dad and his grandmother always said that such things should sprout. She raised parakeets and finches, and would sprout various birdseed for them. They felt that if any seed - bird or food - was not viable, then it had little remaining nutritional value.

This year we've saved tomato seeds from some tiny orange cherry-size tomatoes that are sweet and wonderful. I'm hoping they're not a hybrid and will produce true.

We've also had success with squash seeds from store bought in the past.

And we have terrific Yukon Gold potatoes that we hold over year after year for our own seed potatoes. They were originally a 10 lb bag of store bought. I know, lots of people say that's risky and you should only plant certified seed potatoes. But it's worked out fine for us. We get a great crop every year with many very large potatoes, and they store really well.

 

[wifezilla]

For potatoes, a few people tried sprouting sweet potato slips from store bought potatoes, but nothing happened. There was speculation that they may have been sprayed with sprout inhibitors.

I bought an organic sweet potato and got a boat load of slips. When in doubt, organic may be the way to go.


The quick math on my quinoa seeds. Purchased as seeds in a seed packet they are 95/gram. Purchased in a bag of food, they are less than a penny/gram.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

When we plant butter beans I always buy the dried speckled butter beans from the grocery store. Yummy.

Last fall I saw some name brand potatoes in the produce girls "throw away buggy" because they had sprouted. I asked her if she would sell them to me and she put a .99 "Managers Special" sticker on the whole bag. They grew fine for me the the frost got them before they got too big. I believe they were the slow growers, but they made nice petite new potatoes that I boiled with some green beans.

I bought some potatoes from Lowe's this weekend to plant. I'm using the wire cage method and using the goat bedding.

 

[Rozzie]

It can work. However, remember that the seeds may sometimes be hybrids. They may not grow "true" to what you expect to see, as far as characteristics of the original seed that you purchased.

They will be fine if they are an heirloom variety. However, if they are a hybrid that was developed for modern farm production they may not do well.

Another place you can look for discount seed is at local farm/feed stores. Some places do get and sell seeds in bulk. ASK, though, to find out when they got the seed. Some may be selling seed from prior years. If you get this, test the germination rate (and ask for a discount...)

They will sell this type of seed by the ounce. It's a good way to buy the things you need in very large or very small amounts.

 

[silkiechicken]

We've sprouted mung beans to use as bean sprouts instead of buying sprouts, but because of the short summer we have, we generally don't risk taking up space and resources with seed that might not be true to type, especially now that it is just my old parents to manage the things I run home to plant during breaks for them.

When I was home during highschool and undergrad, I did plant seeds off of squash from the store one year, but with our short season, half turned out to be mixed, and the other half proved to be of a long heat loving variety that never matured... all that water, time, and effort to end up with just leaves. So I just spend the 3 bucks on a packet of seeds that I can use for 3 years.

 

[dipence71]

Everyone knows you can buy seeds in those little seed packets in the garden center. But you can also get seeds from packages of food in the grocery store.

Two things I just recently tested for germination were quinoa and anasazi beans. I put some seeds on a plate between wet paper towels and waited to see if they would germinate. Within a few hours I had the beginnings of quinoa sprouts. The next morning almost all had sprouted.

It took 2 days but almost all of the anasazi beans in the paper towels also sprouted. Once I figured out they were viable seeds, I planted some of each.

I have also tested organic whole peas, mung beans and amaranth.

Testing beans and other seed items for germination rate is also a good way to see if the food you are getting is fresh. If your stuff doesn't sprout, it has probably been sitting on the shelf for a long time and you may want to buy a different brand or shop at a different store.

The potential money savings is incredible. Take the quinoa for example. A few weeks ago I bought a 2 gram package of rainbow quinoa for $1.89. A few days ago I bought a 1 lb bag of white quinoa in the grocery isle for $3.89. I bought it for food, but there is plenty in a 1 lb container for eating AND planting your entire yard and all of your neighbors'. When you consider there are 453.59237 grams per pound, you can see how buying stuff packaged as food might be something to look in to.



Have you tried to use any items packaged as food for garden seeds? What were the results?

I never thought of that, now must go on the hunt for organic food to plant..... Awesome idea!!! you guys are so smart I learn so much from you all Thank you.

 

[Holachicka]

I have always wanted to try this! does anyone know what type of dried bean might produce a good snap bean? Wife, can you keep up posted on how well things go?

 

[wifezilla]

remember that the seeds may sometimes be hybrids. They may not grow "true" to what you expect to see, as far as characteristics of the original seed that you purchased.

True. But you are more likely to get hybrids with some food than others. Quinoa is a good example. There currently aren't hybrid seeds being sold, BUT I read an article that some university is tinkering with them right now.

Tomatoes are most likely a hybrid if you save seeds from something you buy in the store.

 

[journey11]

For potatoes, a few people tried sprouting sweet potato slips from store bought potatoes, but nothing happened. There was speculation that they may have been sprayed with sprout inhibitors.

I bought an organic sweet potato and got a boat load of slips. When in doubt, organic may be the way to go.

That's what I'm going to do for this year. The only place around here that sold sweet potatoes for planting just went out of business. :/