[Pollard]

From High Mowing Seeds

Ever wondered how long you can save your seeds and have them still be viable? We've created this chart to help you determine the longevity of your seeds. Proper seed storage conditions are cool and dark. The moisture content within the seed greatly affects germination rates. Seeds should be stored in their original packaging in a cool (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit), dark place where their moisture content will stay relatively stable. Here at High Mowing we keep our seed cooler at around 45 degrees Fahrenheit with less than 40% humidity.

Seed Type	Longevity Under Proper Seed Storage Conditions
Artichokes	5 years
Arugula	3 years
Beans	3 years
Beets	4 years
Broccoli	3 years
Brussels Sprouts	4 years
Cabbage	4 years
Carrots	3 years
Cauliflower	4 years
Celery/Celeriac	5 years
Chard	4 years
Collards	5 years
Corn	2 years
Cress	5 years
Cucumbers	5 years
Eggplant	4 years
Endive/Escarole	5 years
Fennel	4 years
Kale	4 years
Kohlrabi	4 years
Leeks	1 year
Lettuce	5 years
Melons	5 years
Mustard	4 years
Okra	2 years
Onions	1 year
Peas	3 years
Peppers	2 years
Pumpkins	4 years
Radish	5 years
Rutabagas	4 years
Spinach	2-3 years
Summer Squash	4 years
Tomatoes	4 years
Turnips	5 years
Watermelon	4 years
Winter Squash	4 years

[Pollard]

From Marie Iannotti at TheSpruce.com

It can take some practice to learn when bok choy should be planted in order to avoid setting seed in its first season. This vegetable will bolt (send up flower stalks) if the weather is too warm, but paradoxically it can also bolt if exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees when it is young.

Bok choy grows as an annual in every hardiness zone in the U.S. It does best in cooler weather; Dry and hot conditions can cause bok choy to bolt prematurely.

Not sure what I got myself into with this bok choy thing. Article on The Spruce mentions the word 'bolt', 11 times.

May bolt when young due to cold? LOL Hopefully that one night it went below 50 in the seed room won't be a problem. Nor the day it hit 85.

Tatsoi, which I'm also growing, has the same tendency to bolt when cold or hot and dry, yet doesn't like soggy soil either. Seems like they're a good greenhouse/tunnel thing, especially in the Fall.

Did not get frame 7 of 7 up yet. Not laziness. Didn't have much wind so we raked/burned and did general Spring cleaning because the mess/clutter is driving me crazy. Yesterday afternoon when the wind picked up, we started loading the trailer for the dump run.

90% chance of thunderstorms tonight so I'll get the Choy and Tatsoi planted out tomorrow afternoon and give them a little wind block since the first half of the week is windy. They're going in the existing raised bed I use for peppers last year that has store bought raised bed soil and I'll freshen it up with fish emulsion, and naturally, some goat manure. Kinda late for lime so I'll add some ashes today so it can get watered in tonight.

[Paul R.]

Good info.!

Does that source state what the likely reduction in viability is after, say, 4 years for tomato seeds in good storage conditions? I’d think it’d be at least 50%.

[Liz]

Smothered Steak / an authentic Southern recipe

Ingredients 4 2-oz sirloin steaks (an inch thick) 2 tbl steak seasoning, divided 2 tbl ea olive oil, unsalted butter 8 oz mushroom, sliced 1 yellow onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped 1 tsp beef bouillon 2 tbl flour 1½ cups beef broth low-sodium S/p to taste Chopped fresh parsley, garnish

Instructions Pat steaks dry with p/towels, add steak seasoning (has salt in it). Heat oil on med-high, then add steaks; brown and cook to desired doneness, 3-4 min per side for med-rare. Transfer to plate, foil over, and set aside.

Set the skillet back over medium heat and melt butter. Add the sliced mushroom and onions. Saute for 6-7 minutes or until onions are soft and caramelized, stirring frequently. Stir in minced garlic, thyme, a tablespoon of the remaining steak seasoning, and beef bouillon, and continue cooking for about a minute. Then add flour and cook for another minute or two until the raw flour taste is gone.

Slowly add beef broth, and scrape up caramelized browned bits w/ wooden spoon. Stir/fully combined and bring the mixture to a boil. Taste and s/p as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low. Return steaks to the skillet and continue simmering for about 3 more minutes, or until they're heated through and the sauce has thickened.

Remove to plate, add parsley, serve w/ mashed potatoes and garden fresh vegetables.

Tips & Notes: A good gravy covers over what an economical steak is missing. Ensure the flour and fat are well mixed before adding the liquid to avoid lumps. Can use chuck steak or other cheaper cuts. If you have time, brining steaks ahead makes cheaper beef cuts more tender.