any Farmers in the house ?

[white eagle]

question :
I have some seed corn that I bought last year
it has been stored in a dark cool spot in mt basement
will it still be usable this year

[mold maker]

How dry is the location?

[algaeguy]

White Eagle,

I am not a farmer, but a long time gardener. The easiest way to see if the corn is still viable, is to:

1) soak a few kernals overnight in warm water
2) put them in a damp, not wet paper towel in a plastic bag.
3) if they sprout in 3-4 days = plantable; if they dont sprout = grind em for polenta or cattle feed

[x101airborne]

I would say so. You normally get old seeds anyway, so I would plant em.

[DLCTEX]

If in doubt, plant thicker than normal, then thin out after it comes up. I'm betting they're still viable. Alternatively, soak them until they just sprout and plant the sprouted ones immediately.

[tomme boy]

How did you buy this? Does it still have all the chemicals on it? If it does, be very carefull on how you handle it.

[jasdebcr]

white eagle ...... algaeguy hit the nail on the head...... you need to check the germination of the seed. I put 100 seeds in a wet paper towel and check a few days to a week later to see how many out of the 100 have started to sprout and that is your percentage. make sure to keep the paper towel moist. good luck with your seed.

[244H&H]

It should be just fine to plant, just do the germination test as algeaguy said. DO NOT use it for feed or food the fungicide and insectacide on it can be nasty to what ever eats it, except mice for some reason. Kurt

[Certaindeaf]

Are you hunting rats with cast boolits? It might be good or bad depending..

[Bob Krack]

question :
I have some seed corn that I bought last year
it has been stored in a dark cool spot in mt basement
will it still be usable this year

David,

Algaeguy gave good advice. I suspect you will get better than 85% germination and the test only takes three or four minutes and four or five days of casual observation.

Bob

[beagle]

I planted year old stuff last year and got one of the best stands ever. Use it./beagle

[square butte]

I have planted seed over 5 years old and had excellent results. As a boy I had part of an ear of indian corn found in a cliff dwelling. Planted and grew nice looking corn with it.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I settled a similar arguement about the growability of old seeds with a friend about 20 years back. He held that the seeds go bad in 1 - 2 years and won`t grow. I produced a kindergarten paper from my first child that she made for Thanksgiving over 25 years before. I picked 12 kernnels of maize corn off the turkey picture. We adjourned to my garden and my friend and I planted these seeds in a special spot so we would know it. This took place in May at planting time. That October my friend and I harvested maize ears off from all 12 corn stalks.Robert

[Three44s]

If the seeds have stayed cool and and don't appear to have gotten moldy ............. they will germinate for many many years!!

One year is nothing for those seeds with proper storage!!

Three 44s

[Rick N Bama]

I once planted some Okra seed that had been stored in a freezer for around 10 years. When planted, the germination was just about as good as fresh bought seed.

Rick

[Hardcast416taylor]

Seeds that were found in the pyramids in Egypt with the pharoahs have been planted and a high number of the seeds sprouted and grew after sitting there for nearly 2000 years.Robert

[472x1B/A]

white eagle, if your 'seed corn' is regular field seed corn and it has been stored in its original bag at no higher moisture % than 35,it will be ok. At a plant rate of 36,000 plants per acre or less, but not lower than 20,000 per acre you should get 187-225 bu. per acre, IF your combine is adjusted correctly. Do not feed to livestock IF treated with Round-Up, Honcho, or Poncho it/they will die. No grain elevator in the US will ever accept any seed corn, but seed beans are ok, go figure. Also if you bought any amount of field seed corn your salesman should have given you at least a bag or 2 of sweet corn seed. He better with most seed corn going for $300.00 a bag. (that's a 50lb bag) Good luck sir.

[waksupi]

Man, it's hard to imagine seed corn has gotten that high. Kind of makes you want some heirloom seed, doesn't it?

[472x1B/A]

Yes sir. Back in the 50's when my dad was selling seed corn and beans, the average price of a bag was $27.00. Now, so much cost is involved that most farmers need their subsities to get by. Last fall one guy told me that he was spending $300.00 a day for fuel to run his Combine, tractor on the grain auger, semi to haul corn into the elvator, one tractor to haul two wagons to the elvator, and one light truck to haul into the elevator. That's plus, 4 people's wages to fill thoes tractor/truck seats. Plus their were times he had to sit and wait for an empty truck/wagon to dump into, that's dead running time on idle deisel engines. (starter motors for most combines start out at $1000.00plus) Yup, it's a very lurkrative business these days.

[starmac]

I would be shocked if a combine would run a long day itself on 300 dollars.
It is pretty easy to burn 6-700 bucks worth of fuel a day in a truck these days