my seed list was last updated 12/7/14. some seeds have been traded/used since then. but I have not found the magic link to update my list. can email current list to anyone interested.

Hi, I bought the 'organza favor' bags for my grapes last year. The birds pecked right through them. They could not get the grapes but damaged the fruit. They did create a 'dripping mess' under the arch where they 'Concords' grow. The organza bags still show the grapes, as they are see-through. I am going back to wax paper bags this fall. The ripening process for Concords goes well into October. I had to pick my grapes early last year and made a tasteless jam, due to un-ripened grapes. Back to paper bags for me. Mrs. G

Great tip - Nancy. I do have some empty tea bags, that I ordered some time ago. They were originally intended for mint, but found that mint is great stored dried/frozen, and then put in a tea "ball" add hot water for making a combination of black/mint tea. These bags, however, can be ironed shut, and perhaps they could best serve with the dried milk content. I use dried milk a lot in making bread anyway. Linda Lou - about my dehydrator - it is Excaliber, and I admit it seems a bit slow on the low setting, but preferred to wait a bit longer if necessary, so as not to have stuff over-dry - tasting like grass. Admittedly, I am still experimenting with it - as I find some things work better in other ways - as we all have found from experience. But perhaps those scapes could be cut a bit thinner too - like thick-walled peppers, which dry better when cut into rings. I'm not familiar with "mylar bags" - or "O2 absorbers" - unless by other names. The dessicant packets can be ordered over the Web - fresh without previous use I note. They seem awfully expensive - after adding the shipping cost, which is almost as much as the item itself - bummer. But will certainly try the dried milk - if it works, that's all that is necessary. Bejay

Just wondered if plants, grown from bean seeds that had mold on them, would be more likely to get afflicted by diseases? Yes, especially rotting & damping off of the seedlings. The plants which survived this, however, should be normal. My personal opinion is that beans which have been exposed to excess moisture - whether visibly molded or not - should not be saved for planting. Their storage life will be poor, and they are more likely to suffer from rotting & poor germination. I would only save such seeds if they were rare, or if I was nearly out of seed. It's possible that beans could be treated to kill external pathogens, but I have never tried it. Beans absorb moisture very quickly, so I am apprehensive about treating them with any agent that could potentially destroy the seed (such as chlorine). Furthermore, exposing fully dried beans to moisture could trigger germination, and would likely reduce their storage life. For these reasons, I would recommend that such treatments be used just prior to planting, and only for seed to be used immediately. After any water-based treatment, the beans would need to be either planted or dried very quickly, or they might begin to germinate.