DON'T WASTE TIME WITH OLD SEEDS. How To Know Before You Plant and Jumpstart Germination Gardening

We're back at our off grid homestead and preparing our garden for another growing season. We have been starting seeds in our greenhouse and prepping the grounds, mulching and anxious as ever for harvest time. In this video I share another gardening tip on how to tell if old seeds are still viable and worth planting. This is also a helpful way to jumpstart germination if you don't have a and temperature controlled greenhouse.
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Links to FLOATING STYROFOAM SEED TRAYS: I prefer a 72 cell or 32 cell tray for growing corn but the 128 cell tray is all I can find now. If using this tray for large seeds like corn, I would use them for germination but transplant to larger cups when the seedlings approach 4" in height. Link to 128 CELL TRAY: • HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES...
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On my channel you will find videos pertaining to homesteading, gardening and living off the grid with fun DIY projects for self-reliance and SHTF emergency preparedness situations, with some campfire cooking and good old backwoods humor thrown in. Sharing knowledge and stories from over 30 years of living in the woods.
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[@coreygillum12]

To all you newbies. You have just subscribed to the best channel on the Tube. Start with the very first video by The Boss an lock your doors cause your not goanna want to be distracted. Yes Sya.

[@ddro3443]

Agreed- best channel ever- I have no interest in gardening but always learn something new and I like seeing you guys cook with your fresh veggies. More dump general store videos .

[@janied8831]

AMEN 😇AMEN 😇 to that!!👏👏😇😇😇🕊

[@Aussiehomestead1965]

The boss and Simple Living Alaska are my favourites.

[@eclecticacre2593]

You new folks are gonna love this guy. He is very knowledgeable and does things as thrifty as possible.

[@richardstone5241]

Howdy Boss, hope all is well, yep, if seeds have been stored properly, they will grow. I have seeds from 2008, and they still germinate. Blessings!!!

[@feedingit]

Everything Boss is new again! 😂❤❤

[@farmyourbackyard2023]

I planted West Virginia Sweet Meat tomatoe seed that I purchased in 2013. Almost every seed germinated. 🎉 Can’t wait to have a tomato sandwich.

[@UBwalkswiththeKing]

Tomato sandwiches are the best of summer! I grew up on them in Germany and always thought I must've remembered them better than they were when I used store bought imposters after coming to America. Then I started my own garden and they are my main food source in the summer. 😂. My granddaughter loves them too and it makes me happy to share this simple, yet delicious treat with her. Last year, I had about 25 Husky Cherry tomatoes left and she secretly scarfed them all. I wasn't mad. I think I am going to love this channel and this community. ❤

[@Barbarra63297]

I have done this, the only difference is, I use the damp paper towels and put a little piece of masking tape on the inside edge of the container up towards the top and write on the tape what the seed is below it in the container. If you open them one at a time and not all at once you can see what's what. Then I know which packets of old seeds I can get rid of.

[@cyrilbrun8764]

Always great ideas , here's another -- " many " people are trying to figure out a cheaper way to build , raised beds , as opposed to buying . Unless you did a vid on your raised bed design , and i missed it , i think lots of people would definetly be interested , myself included . cheers

[@Wintersnow147]

I always learn something new when I watch your videos.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Glad to hear that!

[@loulentz3107]

Hello J.C. and Lori! Thank you much for the tips on the seeds! You are the digital version of the Old Famer's Almanac! Happy Planting, and All the Best! God Bless! ~Lou

[@ericsplace3004]

Great video! GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you and blessings to you and yours.

[@gallopingg1]

Dear Boss, the way you are doing your garden with the leaf mulch is like you having steak and chips, leaf mulch is the Rolls Royce of plant food , i am a gardener in the uk, since 1987, now 60yrs old, absolutely love your channel. stay safe warm and good health to you both.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

The mulch serves many purposes :-)

[@palominogirl2732]

Genius! Especially since I am a quilter (only in winter though). I wrote that down on the December page of my calendar so I'll remember next spring.

[@Dougr214]

I just planted 3 year old cucumber seeds and my plants are beautiful.

[@TinaStefanko]

Northwestern Pennsylvania here & new to the channel. 😊

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Welcome :-))

[@davidandrzejewski9127]

My uncle did this, he called it a paper doll. He counted exactly 100 seeds, after a few days he would open the paper doll and. Count the germinated seeds, this way he would know how to set his seed setting machine to get a good crop. If only 50 percent germinated he would double the seed amount.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Your uncle was a smart man :-)

[@shehulk337]

I’m new. I was on a search for info and subscribed after watching your video on the difference between your garden style and your dad’s traditional gardening method. My dad gardens like yours. It’s hard work for sure.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Welcome to my channel and good best of luck with your garden.

[@shehulk337]

@@thebossoftheswamp thank you. I’m looking forward to starting one next year. Right now I’m in prep phase seeing what I need to do in the meantime to start on the right foot. I will keep tuned in and taking notes.

[@smadden911]

You just popped up on my feed..I subscribed!!

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@bobbipearcey2059]

I just learned something ❣️🙏😍🥰🙏 I live in NL Canada and I just pulled out my box of seed packets…💕 I only became a “home-steader” since COVID .. I have had great success (except for slugs) eating ALL MY KALE 😢.. But I was wondering only YESTERDAY when I looked to see if there was expiry dates on the “older” packets… But NOW I KNOW “what” TO DO 🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏 I am 69..(3 days ago) ..retired nurse (15 years) and landscape designer 20 years ..and stay at home mom 15 years in between “that” …lol ❤️ Loving your channel and it’s relaxing approach to life and the “times” we live “in” ❣️❣️

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Happy to hear you're enjoying my ramblings. Happy Birthday to you :-))

[@LostCaper]

An old guy gave me the same advice so I started doing it. Best garden I ever had.

[@12ozbuds]

Boss, we been starting pot plants that way for years. Works great can't wait ;-).

[@donaldmatthies6026]

J.C. Thank you for another simple video. Thanks for filming, editing, and posting this video.

[@russellweber3466]

Your gardening videos are real interesting to me because I can't grow mold much less a bountiful garden.

[@randyferguson2952]

Outstanding as usual boss. Thank's for sharing

[@eetheart9176]

I have been watching the boss for years and besides being quite the artist he is knowledgeable and just about all things frugal. Of course I've purchased some of his prints and I faithfully followed the channel to see what I can learn and I'm always inspired by all of his content. I was curious when he said he had new subscribers so I went to see how many subscribers he had and discovered I had not subscribed. So I say to all of us regular viewers check to make sure you have subscribed to this wonderful channel so we can grow our viewers as well as he grows His gardens. God bless all!

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you for your kind words :-)

[@mountainlife289]

I will fold a damp paper towel with the seeds and put in a sandwich bag. Works great and I'll reuse the bags for the next year.

[@sheilaprisco5038]

A wise Man you are ❤ Knowledge is power, the key is how you choose to use it 😉

[@kenthorsen4558]

Glad to hear from you! Yippee I did this last week with my old seeds, great minds think alike. Best wishes for the both of you 🙏

[@mterrylane819]

a n old timer, new to gardening veggies, some great tips to try, starting immediately! the inthusiasm for growing is contageous , wish id done this years ago,!

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Best of luck with your garden.

[@louellen7271]

As always, good to see you! We have been very busy trying to get things going/growing. The garden just keeps getting bigger! The house is coming along, but that is S-L-O-W work. Take care and y'all enjoy life! We will be right here watching for your next video.

[@karinjudge7277]

Hi Boss. Another garden season 😊 Your soil looks good. Leaves are good for many things. They say to leave them on the ground in the winter. Then rake up in the spring. Good protection for insects and other new plants. God bless your journey 🙏😋

[@elizabethrubio4272]

I just found your channel. Very good content for gardeners.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you and welcome to my channel.

[@marymarsh6325]

I love watching your channel! So inspiring, informative, and just down right awesome. Keep on keeping it real and living life happy and free . ❤❤

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you for saying so Mary :-))

[@kleineroteHex]

I had 100% success with all my old pepper seeds, but i just put them in tiny pots with dirt. It was my experiment this year. For larger seeds your method is tops!!! Going to try this today with a few seeds i wanted to direct seed.

[@cathylynnpietranton]

Nice tips. Thank you ❤️

[@lesterwicklein717]

Always good vids, thanks

[@paulwilson7234]

Hello from Belfast.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Hello there!

[@margueritepeaden3445]

I like your method for figuring out if seeds are good.

[@halinawiecek2297]

I enjoyed watching your video good tip about the seats but I always enjoy the end of the video and listen the song and Frankie thank you

[@bethlampron2925]

Thanks Boss for the tips... I definitely need all the help I can get !!! lol

[@conniewright8080]

Good Tips.....Thank You

[@lauriestlyon8773]

Hey Boss, Here on the Coventry Canal in the UK we have a few trailing tomatoes and herbs on the roof. Otherwise this year I built a growing table out of a pile of scrap wood at the MIL place where she said we could grow stuff using a paved area at the rear of her property. So we have 6 containers of spuds and other trays and tubs with tomatoes, onions, carrots as well as cabbage and some other odd bits. Also tried the wet kitchen towel routine and all failed! I think a lot of my seeds are duff too! Some are pre-pandemic old! I am going to try my hand at hydroponics too (Kratky method) and I have a bucket of liquid fertiliser on the go. So experiments are in full swing. Sadly MIL passed a few weeks ago (a proper Irish wake is in the offing!) but, my brother in law is happy to let us carry on. He is not green fingered. He just cuts the lawn and I grabbed the cuttings to mulch the top of my potato containers! As this is a new venture I have had to buy compost to grow in, but, I am hopeful this will not need to continue long term. I used to keep bees (pre-divorce) and my BiL is fascinated by the idea so that is likely on the agenda. So it means trotting over there at least once a week and this is a major city (not my favourite habitat) so not the tranquillity of our boat. There is even the chance we will have to leave the boat as my wifes health has taken a downturn. We knew we were time limited on the boating life but still thought we had a few years. Plus I am still trying to get a job so change and challenges abound, but, we keep on keeping on! As ever thanks for sharing your life with us. All the best.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Always fun to experiment. Best of luck with your crops :-)

[@typolive8663]

Thanks Boss. Gosh we love your videos. Always approach it with such a great demeanor. God Bless ❤️

[@thebossoftheswamp]

I appreciate that. Thank you.

[@carolynkid216]

Thanks BossMan for such a great idea. I have heard of using the paper towel method, inside a baggie, but that seems like too much fussing. I will give the cloths a try. This year I experimented starting my seeds in rock wool, in a domed tray with a heat mat. That worked very well, and a nice clean way to get seeds started, but still had about 25% of that did not sprout. I would add another seed and wait. Some of them did not sprout at all and it was time lost too. It would be nice to just have sprouted seeds right out of the gate. I too have a ton of seeds. Most are not 12 years old (yet), but I won't be throwing them away. I like to find them at the end of the season too when the prices are super low, or free. I will most likely continue to add to my collection! Thanks for all you share with us. It's a joy to be part of your youtube family. All the best to you, Lori and Miss Tildy. God bless.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

I've been hearing about people using heat mats but they wouldn't work for me being off grid. The simple damp cloth works great as you can see :-))

[@libby2012]

Beautiful ; )

[@Desert-Tan-Whiskey]

Enjoyed the video boss😁

[@eclecticacre2593]

This is my 1st year to mulch the heck out of the garden with about 6 inch of leaf and a few inch of straw. Ran short but will add as need this year cuz i wanted it about 12 inch deep. Can already tell difference on the watering. Started seed in peat pots , set them about an inch deep in garden covered with leaves. Its a trial thing.

[@bfd1565]

You are awesome Boss.

[@subzeromjc]

This is how I do weed seeds too!! Thanks Bossman 👍

[@goose2die4]

Yes always germinate your seeds , I have and always will . Great tip . . . Thanks Boss !

[@locksbog4270]

Great info as always Brother! 👍😃✌️🇺🇸💪❤️

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you

[@davidferguson9213]

Thank you!!

[@tomhenkel4328]

Had some broccoli seeds with an expiration date 8 years ago. Threw some into the greenhouse just for grins and they took off like a house afire. Had a bag of beans from I don't know how long back; they popped up in three days and are doing fine.

[@douggibson9084]

Second week of holidays Boss, garden is in using a straw bale that rolled into the ditch off a farmer's trailer. Free mulch and weed suppression. Just a little of effort. Thanks Buddy. Enjoy your journey. It's time for another " Off Grid and chatty Red Squirrel" video 😅.

[@jeffgrier8488]

Thanks for all the great tips as always, we appreciate it!

[@joshuakeegwell2896]

Cheers Boss! Enjoy the springtime.

[@richardwilliamswilliams]

Good afternoon from Copperhill Tn. Remember, we'll leave the light on!!😊

[@nobison6185]

Carrot: sprinkle whole pack of seeds in a 6 inch pot, let em get 6 inches high , then dump the mass upside down , break em up and transplant. A sharpy marker jambed full hilt into the soil makes quick transplant hole.

[@suzannekinsey8831]

Was thinking about your channel this week, so I searched and you had just put out a new video. I always find your content refreshing and wholesome! Thank you. Also, I learned something about seeds. So bonus!

[@infinitelyblessed359]

I wish I had known this before I planted my beans. None of them germinated and they weren't even expired. I'm going to do this from now on :) Thanks :) :) :)

[@chicagochris1988]

Welcome back boss! We missed y’all

[@Dragonsbrath]

Enjoyed your video. Nice to get excellent advice from a experienced gardener. With me starting late with growing I have made little disasters but its all in the learning. Thankyou.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Best of luck with your garden :-)

[@juneramirez8580]

Just where I am today! I just threw some in the ground or in pots hoping they are good. I didn't take the time to test them. I Have lots of native wildflowers that I am going to mix them all and spread them on the soil during my monsoon season soon! Thank you for the info!

[@peperetuque7744]

thank you for sharing great advice we are trying the leaf let you know at the end of the season

[@ramonalvarado9503]

great info...thanks

[@aggiekromah6254]

Thanks a lot brother😁👌👌💕

[@terryporche9059]

JC and Lori, hello from south Louisiana,the garden spot of America. Glad for you to drop in, always a treat and hear from y’all. Take care and God bless,until next time.

[@centerhice7948]

Great vid God bless you and your wife

[@thebossoftheswamp]

God Bless :-)

[@sylvie5189]

Always looking forward to your new video. Thanks from Montreal Canada

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnkleinemeier9775]

What a great episode Boss, especially in a time where everyone is planting, planning and living in concern, thank you for this great information!

[@wagon53417]

Good to see you folks again..and thanks for the tips.👍👍

[@poodledaddles1091]

I like it!

[@GardeningandMyDailyLife]

Ngôi nhà kinh trồng rau của bạn được xây dựng rất chắc chắn ,rau cũng phát triển rất tốt .

[@billhart2746]

Great timing on this video. Our neighbour just gave us a bunch of seeds. I'm going to get them checked with your method. We are in North Texas.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Hope you have some good ones :-)

[@denisewilson8367]

Thanx JC. Saves a lot of time & guess-work. I hope you and Lori are doing well and enjoying life.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you and yes indeed we are :-)

[@chrislonsberry1974]

Always good advice from the Boss!!

[@marthavojtko6268]

Hi JC, glad to see you!😊

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Hello :-)

[@carolinestone4527]

New subscriber from Utah here. I am on my second year gardening. I used the seed-sprouting method on 12-year old bean seeds. As for mulching and beets, I threw my seeds on top of the soil (I am using grow bags, as we have clay soil), and mulched over the top. The beet leaves grew up between the mulch. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Welcome to my channel and thanks for the sub!

[@denniswillie949]

Good evening I’ve recently starting watching your channel I’m from southeast Louisiana enjoy your content tips and such thanks God Bless

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Welcome to my channel and thanks for saying hi :-)

[@UBwalkswiththeKing]

I just came across your channel and subscribed tight away. I don't believe in tossing out old seeds and think your method is brilliant. I'm slso starting some raised beds this year and appreciate the mulch method. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thanks for taking the time to comment and best of luck with your garden.

[@Habitatacres]

Been following since his first you tube post .loved the trapping videos.

[@dstcfsg9043]

Thanks for the tip! Will try this soon. Mid-MO

[@JasonBarnett-YTisantiWest]

Excellent NEW video! Thank you Mr. Boss

[@Tyler_885]

Must be laundry day. I almost didn’t recognize you in a green shirt. (It is a sharp shirt)

[@jeanettec6212]

I would take your advice any day, Boss! I hope you’re well friend! Sure is great hearing from you! I did put in some comment sections about your channel to other utubers and always do but especially about the bubble wrap and gardening so I hope I was part of sending people over! Take care my friend! God bless!

[@thebossoftheswamp]

I appreciate that Jeanette. Thank you so much :-)

[@jeanettec6212]

@@thebossoftheswamp my pleasure!

[@PawPawMountain]

Great advice Boss! Best of Luck with your garden this season! Blessings my friend.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you and blessings to you as well.

[@Home-11]

Y'all got it going on. Great tips to get your garden growing, in the right direction for the most yields from the plants! Thanks for the tips. 😉😁👍✌️🙏🐶

[@baneverything5580]

Louisiana is much different than your state but still there`s always something to learn. I use very thick mulch too. No weeds in my garden. I`ve been farming since the late 1960s but I`m still always learning as much as I can. I had a bag of 5 year old black eyed peas from the store that had fallen off the pantry shelf. So I tried them as seeds. All of them grew. So some seeds really last a long time. In Israel they brought back an extinct date palm from 2000 year old seeds found in an ancient hidden storage site.

[@bobbydale1957]

Gonna try your mulching method next year. Thanks

[@g.s.7022]

Hi Boss, watching you prepare your garden and seedlings to grow in your own personal way is great. Big hugs to Tildy and God bless you and Mrs. Lori☘️💫🍀

[@juanitasullivan3372]

So glad you have new subscribers!!! I think I'm going to head back to the start of your videos like I did before.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

i love the old stuff when I could use great soundtracks without getting copyright issues.

[@resilientdad7436]

Great advice on checking viability of old seeds. I also have saved all my seeds since 2012, I will try this going forward. Thank you

[@RatdogDRB]

Good to hear you're getting some growth my friend. That never hurts one's feelings. We're finally getting some sunny days here and there in the PNW region. Thankful for that. Extra cookies for Tildy from the Bat Box from the grumpy ol' man out west.

[@PoorMansHomesteadCanadaBC1961]

I put leaves in the fall over top of all my beds and my potato beds and In the winter I leave my potatoes in the ground and I go dig them up when I need them I've only lost one potato by doing that last year didn't lose any potatoes this year and I haven't bought potato seedlings either in the past two years because every year there's little baby potatoes that I just leave in the ground and they come up the following year

[@tomarmstrong4156]

After watching your recent video on growing corn from transplants I thought I would try it. It was just as the right time, We start plants on heating pads. In no time I had corn coming up in my cells. When they got about 6 " tall I set them out in the garden. I have never been good at transplanting but they all took off. They are about 12" tall now perfectly spaced and doing well. For some reason we have not been able to grow corn here. I am looking forward to success this year thanks to you.

[@tamelatoggle2897]

Squirrels collected the corn Stir fry size ... Dang squirrels eating Chinese takeout In the backyard .

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Corn seeds attract a lot of critters but they never seem to bother the plants once they're a few inches tall. Good luck with your corn patch.

[@TheOutdoorLife]

In New Hampshire here not all that far from ya. Loving your gardening methods. Perfect for a busy couple who seem to always be too busy with adventuring to be watering the plants.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Not much fussing with these gardening methods.

[@liznyp6209]

Yep I always save seeds. I will soak them overnight in a little water before planting in a cup but will try your method too!

[@tamelatoggle2897]

Algorithm has taken a liken a y'all ! Videos from 10 yrs ago seem to be a big hit ! All of them on my feed are from that time frame . Still relevant and watch worthy . Hot in the South ,sunburn tan lines When it's not raining sideways ... Hope the weather is ideal for growing In your neck of the woods . The only thing I'm growing is old !

[@terryw.milburn8565]

Great Tips Shared Here Thanks Boss & Lori ! Germination @ It's Best ! Prayers For All, Hugs For Tildy ! ATB T God Bless

[@janied8831]

Wow couldn’t have said it any BETTER!!!! 😇😇😇🕊

[@KenC49]

Hey Boss! Congrats on a bunch new subscribers. Guess maybe the word got out, what you don't know ain't worth knowing. What's worth doing is worth doing right the first time. Lol. Hope you're both doing well.

[@johnmisenheimer8341]

Hello Boss , Still here and like to see some of you fishing trips again. FISH ON.

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Just got in from fishing :-)

[@gaillamont9134]

👍👍👍👍best channel !

[@thebossoftheswamp]

Thank you for saying so :-)