Keeping it for best!

When I was a kid, I'd have to keep some clothes "for best" - meaning I could only wear them on Sundays, to parties or Christmastime, Other times, they stayed in the wardrobe (getting damp and dusty!). These habits stayed with me, even when I was working. Best clothes were not for everyday, to be worn to the office, they were for "going out". 
These days, I don't have any "best clothes" - probably because I rarely go anywhere "posh". 
The point of this waffle, is the realisation that these habits have rubbed off into the garden - and I need to break the habit.

For example, I pulled some carrots up this week because they were bolting.  They were big but inedible! If I hadn't been keeping them "for best" and had pulled them up weeks ago they would have been smaller but much nicer. More to the point, I could have eaten them instead of adding to the compost bin. 

Its the same with seeds - I'm a hoarder - not necessarily a buyer, but, an acquirer of seeds at swaps. When I decide to sow a particular seed - let's say courgette for example. I'll sow the oldest seeds first and keep my fingers crossed that they'll germinate. If they don't, I'll sow the next oldest but, I rarely sow the freshest seeds. They go into storage for another year.
Each time I sow and fail, I've wasted time, compost and energy. If I went straight to sowing the freshest seeds, in theory, I should have healthy seedlings from the start. 

Part of the problem is that, some packets of seeds contain far more seeds than any "normal" person needs  - or can sow within a year or two. As you know,I am unable to throw anything away - especially seeds - so part used packets are stored with the unopened - and my next round of sowings will not just be old seeds, but opened packets of old seeds, which may have deteriorated even more than unopened packets of a similar age. So its a double whammy!

I'm going to try to overcome my frugal habits this year - by sowing seeds that are in date and by picking "small and beautiful" crops instead of thinking that I need to win a giant veg competition. 

Is there a support group in G&G that can help me please?

In a word no, not from me. I, like you, am a hoarder, but unlike you, I do sow my new seeds, especially if they're a new variety. I very rarely throw any seeds away, except perhaps when they have proven non-germinating.

I remember 'best' clothes. No need for them these days (along with high heeled shoes). Nowadays I have 'worst' clothes, saved especially for gardening in. My gardening jeans were my mum's and she passed 16 yrs ago and they weren't new then. They're still going strong.

I’m with you Veggie 100%. The best clothes thing I still do. I do exactly the same as you with seeds. Last year I had the light bulb moment and realised I was mostly sowing old seed and hoarding the new / fresh ones. I started weaning myself out of this habit and I’ve continued this year. The other thing I realised I did was only sow a couple of extra seeds ( if I wanted 4 plants, I’d only sow 6 seeds). Leaving me with even older seeds next year. I’m trying to change this habit to.
I don’t do the same with harvesting though.

I also remember having 'best clothes' as a kid and I couldn't wait to get changed. Its hard to bin out of date seeds but I'm finding it a waste of time when they fail. So maybe a clear out would be the best idea.

It’s time for a selection of jam jar mixes. And an appropriate location to scatter the out of date hoard.
I’d do a mix of greenhouse related seeds ( toms, aubergines, sweet peppers).
An annual flower mix
A perennial flower mix
A root veg mix
An edible allium mix
Brassica
Salad
Peas and beans
Squash, pumpkin & courgette
Everything mix.
Just as well you’ve got a big garden.

I did this last year with a lot of my flowers. It was really quite liberating. Also I believe an epic failure. I don’t think a single thing germinated.
I will join you this year. I’m going to do a mix veg jam jar of all my oldest seeds and scatter them on my raised bed.
Because I’m on my 3rd packet of rocket seeds already this year and there’s no sign of life. So I definitely need to be drastic in my approach or the vicious circle will continue.

I wet to allotment yesterday mainly to sow parsnips. After digging through my seed haul I found unopened packets from over ten years ago, a packet with sow by 2022 and an up to date packet for sowing before 2026. Sod it sez I, and mixed all the three packets together, shook them about and sowed the lot in two rows. They were all different varieties so if they do germinate I will have no idea which ones were ok? It does mean I will have to buy fresh seed for next years crop though!  PS I have a black funeral suit, and need to buy a grey wedding suit for my sons posh wedding! The only other things I wear depending on what I am doing (excercising, gardening, walking, walking in the wet, are trainers in differing stages of disrepair!

Slight diversion here - I'm also guilty of keeping some books back "for best"!. They're fiction by authors that I've previously enjoyed reading but, instead of reading them, I'm saving them for when there's nothing else to read. Not sure how old I'll be then - probably about 150. .......so, the next book I read will be one of my favourite authors. Don't know which one yet!

It’s time for a selection of jam jar mixes. And an appropriate location to scatter the out of date hoard.
I’d do a mix of greenhouse related seeds ( toms, aubergines, sweet peppers).
An annual flower mix
A perennial flower mix
A root veg mix
An edible allium mix
Brassica
Salad
Peas and beans
Squash, pumpkin & courgette
Everything mix.
Just as well you’ve got a big garden.

I did this last year with a lot of my flowers. It was really quite liberating. Also I believe an epic failure. I don’t think a single thing germinated.
I will join you this year. I’m going to do a mix veg jam jar of all my oldest seeds and scatter them on my raised bed.
Because I’m on my 3rd packet of rocket seeds already this year and there’s no sign of life. So I definitely need to be drastic in my approach or the vicious circle will continue.

I was slightly ahead of you as I already had a jar of mixed lettuce, one of pak choi and another of mustards - so I've scattered them altogether on a patch that already hosts self seeding oriental leaves. 
Just filled some jars with herb seeds - Dill, Basil, Cumin, Chervil and all the rest. I wanted to keep the individual ones separate, just in case I want to use them in cooking.

I’ve mixed 8 packets of squash, pumpkin & courgette. 2 packets of beetroot, 2 leeks, 2 of each turnips & swede , 2 broccoli. 2 cauliflower, 1 red cabbage 1 kalettes, 1 sprouts, 1 celery. This lot will go in my raised bed. The oldest is sow by 2018. The newest is so by 2024. Most are sow by 2022. If by some miracle I get good germination. I might pot some on as lucky dip veg on my barrow. Or I might just thin out.
I’m going to be mixing more brassicas and leafy greens. Sowing thickly in trays as microgreens

I've just jarred lots of old beetroot & carrots. No idea where I'm going to sow/throw them though!!