How to Set a Burpee Seed Clock

A Burpee Seed Clock tells more than just time, but when to plant crops.

Say the name "Burpee" to any farmer or gardener and they automatically think of seeds. Every winter, their famous seed catalog is mailed to thousands of homes where gardeners dream of when they can begin planting again. Burpee manufactured the "Burpee Seed Clock," a very collectible device that doesn't just tell time, but tells when it it safe to plant and forecasts the length of the growing season for the year. To get reliable information from your clock, it is important to know how to set it and use it.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Burpee Seed Clock
• Screwdriver
• "C" battery

1. Place a towel or cloth on a flat surface to protect the face of the clock. Place the clock, face-down, on the towel. Remove the four screws at the back of the clock with a screwdriver. Remove back of the clock and set aside. Install a new "C" battery.

2. Set the time by rotating the wheels located at the back of the clock.

3. Set the month and date by lining them up at the bottom of the calendar wheel on the clock face. Set the date by adjusting the saw-toothed wheel located on the upper edge of the aluminum plate on the back of the clock. Rotate the wheel from right to left to the calendar wheel on the face side of the clock.

4. Research the current moon phase from a source such as the Farmer's Almanac. Set the moon dial by inserting a sharpened pencil point or pin carefully into the slot in the saw-toothed wheel. Rotate the moon dial from left to right to set it. Move the wheel gently to prevent the calendar setting from accidentally moving in the wrong direction.

5. Research the date of the last killing frost in the spring and the first killing frost in the fall for the local "zone" or location. Obtain this information from the Farmer's Almanac or the local agricultural extension office or local agricultural college. This will establish the length of the growing season.

6. Set the length of the growing season based on these dates with the two tabs under the bottom of the aluminum plate on the back of the clock. Move the tab with the green line so that the green line on the calendar on the front of the clock is set to the date of the last killing frost that occurred in the spring in the local zone. Move the tab with the red line so that the corresponding red line on the face-side of the calendar is set to the date of the first killing frost in fall in the zone or location.

7. Replace the back of the clock and return the screws to their original position.

Tips & Warnings

• Some gardeners suggest adding a week to the spring date and subtracting a week from the fall date to reduce the risk of changes in weather and possible changes to the crops.

• Replace the "C" battery every year.

References

• Burpee: Company History
• Worthopedia Price Guide: Burpee Seed Clock