Petunia - 'White Satin'

[Tucson Grower]

This is a story about some very durable seed:

When I was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico I had occasion, in 1990 to visit a garage sale, held by an elderly couple of our church. At the garage sale I noticed various vegetable and flower seed were on offer. Of course I acquired them. Among them I noticed a packet of 'White Velvet' Petunia seed, it was originally produced and sold for the 1974 season. That year was memorable for me, it was the year my 17 year old self had enlisted in the U. S. Navy. It is now 1990 (16 years past its expiration date). There were several dozen seeds in the packet, at the time. I planted 6 seed and obtained 6 very nice plants, which I grew in my Albuquerque front yard.

Fast forward; today, I am holding this same seed packet in my hand - it is an additional 33 years past 1990, so 49 years beyond the season these seed were originally intended for, and I am planning to plant a few, tomorrow.

[macmex]

It would be amazing if you were able to obtain a plant or two from that same packet! Then you might save seed and keep it going as a tradition.

[FrostyTurnip]

Okay, this is a cool watch! 

[Tucson Grower]

Okay, I planted a full 6-pack of these, a few minutes ago. They're outside, for now, but I'll probably bring them in for the evenings, at least until they're going strong. Raising petunia for seed, is a bit tricky, but fortunately I have a small bit of experience doing it. It was one of several things I was into while a student of Horticuture at NMSU. I was growing 6 different varieties of petunia, while selfing and crossing them with each other. I have some of that seed, here - somewhere. I should see how it does (once I locate it). It was produced arount 1987-88.