There isn’t much variability between the major seed brands, and the majority of garden supply retailers are reputable. Seeds in major retail stores are generally not held over from year to year, getting old in a back room of the store.

The seeds of many species have good viability for 3-4 years, or even more, and there are regulations about the transport, labeling and selling of seeds. Minimum germination percentages are set by the government and seeds must meet those minimum rates to be sold. Seeds that are packaged and sold on racks in retails stores must include the “packed for” date on the label.

Some retailers purchase the products you see on their seed displays, but others sell the products on consignment. Seed companies and retailers who choose to sell seed packets on consignment will pull their seed packets at the end of the season. After that, seed companies may choose to do one or more things with their seeds.

Seeds can be retested for germination and then repackaged, and/or re-labeled if needed, for sale the following year if the germination rate meets the legal requirements for that seed species.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver

A seed company may decide to donate the seed packets to volunteer projects, community gardens, charities, etc. instead of retesting and relabeling.

The seed company might decide to simply discard the seeds.

A retailer who isn’t selling seed packets on consignment may discount the seeds at the end of the season or hold the seeds to sell the following year while the germination rate is still acceptable.

Seeds sold in major retail stores or in the online catalogs of major seed companies are reliable. You can depend on those seed packets to have quantity and germination percentage you want for your garden.

I am considering placing fruit trees directly in the lawn this spring but am concerned about watering them with the grass. I could put a mulch ring around them, but they would get watered with the lawn which I believe requires more water and more often. I wonder if this could lead to disease or less flavorful fruit. I may be able to place them on their own drip in another part of the yard. We want to plant a couple apples, peaches, an apricot and maybe two cherries.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver

Lawns and trees aren’t the best of combinations, and this is especially true for fruit trees. Grass and other vegetation around a tree trunk can provide shelter for diseases and pests like borers, so keeping grass and other vegetation away from tree trunks is important. A vegetation-free zone also reduces the risk of string-trimmer injury. As you suspect, though, the biggest issue with trees in lawns is the watering.

Homeowners tend to water lawns more frequently than needed. Because of this, overwatering is the number one cause or contributor to plant problems- nutrient issues, including iron chlorosis, root rot diseases and poor vigor are a few examples.

In general, trees should be watered deeply, but not more than once a week in the summer and less often in the spring and fall. Lawns do best if they are watered deeply, but not frequently. Most lawns in our Utah County soils can do fine if they’re watered deeply once every 3-4 days during the summer and less often during the spring and fall. If you water your lawn more than twice a week, you may find that you have frequent problems and extra work with your fruit trees.

Another disadvantage of having fruit trees in the lawn is the problem with dropped fruit in the lawn. The weekly cleanup can be challenge when the mowing season and ripening-fruit drop overlap.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t go ahead with your plans, but you’ll need to water properly- watering deeply not more than twice a week during the summer isn’t ideal, but it can be a reasonable compromise between lawn and trees if you focus on good tree care. Aim for watering deeply, but as infrequently as your lawn will tolerate. As an alternative, choosing a location where your trees will be at least a few yards away from the lawn is a better option.