The Farmer Diaries

Farmer's guide to seed: where to store it, when to sow it and when to throw it away

After experiencing a low turnout of plants started from seeds in my greenhouse this year, I decided it was time to go through the packets I've hoarded over the last several years and sort out the oldest seeds.

I'm an easy sell for seed companies. Whether I'm browsing through catalogs every January or confronted by a display in a garden center, I have to stop myself from buying two packs of everything.

There's always something new that I want to try, or I don't have enough of something I've already picked up. The compulsion drives me to shell out at least $300 a year in seed purchases.

I never plant as many seeds in a year as I buy; maybe a quarter of what I bring home. This is how I've built up a large cache of seeds. I keep them in seven or eight boxes that I label with broad categories: grains and beans; carrots and root vegetables; lettuce and greens; squash, cucumbers and melons; tomatoes and peppers; and herbs and flowers.

This hoard has become an on-demand seed supply, with a sampling of almost anything I want ready for me to plant whenever the thought strikes me. It works only because most seeds last longer than the date stamped on the back of the packet. But, as I've learned this year, there is a limit to how long a seed will last.

If I had been more aware of the expected life span of each seed, I could have avoided the huge frustration of preparing seed mix, sowing, watering and weeks later seeing nothing come of my labor. I've since reviewed several sources of information on seed life-expectancy and found that some could last a decade, while others are good for just one season.

Knowing what to expect will spare me future frustration and wasted money. Here's what I found:

Buy every year
I knew there were some crop seeds that needed to be bought each year because they had a brief life span; the problem was that cilantro was the only one I knew about. But after consulting John Sheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, I've learned why so many of the crops from my seed hoard were hard to get started: Seeds I bought in 2012 were no good by 2014.

These are the seeds that must be bought fresh each year:

Artichokes
Arugula
Borage
Cilantro
Chives
Chervil
Edamame
Lovage
Fennel
Lemongrass
Lavender
Leeks
Oregano
Mints
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
Asters
Echinacea
Salvia
Amaranth
Verbena

Two years
Some seeds will last for the year they're packed and into the next:

Beets
Endive
Dill
Dandelion greens
Okra
Spinach
Swiss chard
Parsley
Watercress
Onions
Tomatoes (The main reason for my no-show tomatoes this year was my wrong presumption that seed I bought in 2011 was still viable.)
Melons
Peppers
Tomatillo
Summer squash
Pumpkins
Bachelor's Buttons
Snapdragons
Forget-me-nots
Hollyhocks
Lupines
Morning glories
Marigolds
Moonflowers

Three years
These seeds are reliable for up to three years after purchase:

Peas
Basil
Beans
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Celery
Eggplant
Cucumbers
Radishes
Lettuce
Kale
Corn
Rutabagas
Gourds
Nasturtiums
Winter squash
Four o' clocks
Tobacco
Cosmos
Zinnias
Datura

Four to five years
My hoard has many packets dated with 2009 and 2010. Most will have to go, except for these:

Orach (I don't have any packets of orach, which is a sort of spinach, but if I did, they'd still be good.)
Collard greens
Turnip, for both root and greens
Mustard
Sunflowers
Celosia
Poppies

Proper storage
The life span of seeds depends on storage. Storing them in a dark, cool, dry place will prolong their viability. The room I store mine in is exposed to outside temperatures, like a tool shed. This drastically lowered my germination rate.

At some point, I learned that some seeds can last up to five years and mistakenly applied that number to all of them. Now that I've learned that many seeds are not as long-lived, I will store them in a less vulnerable environment indoors.

The lifespan of seeds varies greatly.

Photo by Marshall Hinsley

The lifespan of seeds varies greatly.

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Burger News

Fun family-owned Big Mike's Bar and Grill from TV star debuts in Plano

Tommy LeBeouf

Big burger from Big Mike's in Plano

A charming family-owned restaurant with TV star ties has debuted in Plano. Called Big Mike’s Bar and Grill, it's an elevated sports bar that just opened at 3200 Alma Dr., in a former Pancho's Mexican Buffet where it's serving tasty Angus burgers and beer-battered onion rings, hand-battered in-house.

Big Mike's is from husband-and-wife Mike Cancelmi and Jennie Marie; she gained fame as the star of the 2018 TLC show Mama Medium. The couple is from Rochester, New York, but fell in love with the Dallas area with their four sons after visiting a friend in 2021.

Their signature Big Mike's burger is a biggie: a half-pound patty with cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg on a brioche bun, served with choice of hand-cut fries, tater tots, or sweet potato fries, for $18.

They bring their Northeast influence with dishes such as a Reuben sandwich with corned beef on marble rye, and their own version of poutine, the Canadian specialty, which they make with fries, cheese curds, brown gravy, and thick-cut crumbled bacon.

One dish reflects their hometown roots: Called the Trash Plate, it's inspired by the Garbage Plate, a sloppy comfort food dish that's the unofficial signature dish of the city of Rochester.

Big Mike's version combines macaroni salad, home fries, and choice of hot dogs from Rochester-based Zweigle’s (which they fly in from New York), or two smash burger patties with hot sauce, mustard, and onions.

Their menu also features a few entree items like NY strip steak, their priciest item at $35, served with garlic mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts; and chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans for $24. Portions are abundant.

Big Mike's family: Mike and Jennie Marie and their four sons.Big Mike's

“I created the menu based on things I like to eat," Mike says. "Everything we make is made from scratch, the way I would do it if I was cooking for my friends."

They host weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday until 2 pm with a cinnamon roll skillet, frittatas, avocado toast, and a hash version of the Garbage Plate with home fries, mac salad, onions, diced Zweigle's hot dogs, eggs, and meat hot sauce. There are mimosas — they have a full bar — and they also do a daily happy hour from 3-6 pm with appetizer specials and domestic beers for $3.50.

Mike's background as a former contractor can be seen in the restaurant's spiffy remodel. The space sits 270, with enough room to host events that include karaoke every Wednesday, live music during brunch, and a ticketed group psychic event where Jennie Marie draws from her TV show days, performing readings and mediumship, with food and drink.

The restaurant has a wonderful family-oriented atmosphere. Many of their employees are friends of their sons from school or ice hockey, giving the restaurant a comfortable, homey vibe.

“We try to visit every table — that personal touch is important to us," Jennie Marie says. "We want that hometown feel, get people what they want so they come back."

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