I have too many seeds from the past few seasons to justify buying anymore. This year, my personal challenge is to use them up. Who's with me?
Using up old seed
Funny you should post this just as I have been going through my seed packets and list tonight to see what I have which might be viable! I, too, have decided to try and use up as many old packets as possible and throw out what does not germinate! I am trying not to buy any more than I can help (can't help myself when it comes to heirloom tomato varieties, though). I only hope that a lot of the old ones do germinate! I'm not sure how long beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, bush beans, spinach and squash remain viable but I guess I'll learn through trial and error!
How old are you talking about?
Some seeds go back to 1996! Many are in the 2000 - 2006 time frame, especially lettuce. I'm hoping the seeds from 2007 on will work best, especially the carrots since I have so many packets of those. The most recent carrot packets are from 2006 and 2007. Anyone have experience growing veggie seeds that are more than 5 years old (besides tomatoes - they last a long time for me)?
This message was edited Dec 21, 2010 1:52 AM
I had already decided not to buy more seeds this year.
I lost my part-time job in September. Social Security will kick-in again in June, but until then money is going to be very tight. Thankfully, our freezer is full and there are plenty of dried beans in the pantry. It's amazing what I have found tucked away at the back of shelves. Yesterday I made some brownies from a mix dated April 2010!
I wondered if a package of 2008 bush beans were still viable, so I planted one on the windowsill. It took several weeks, but it finally sprouted, so I know that at least they should give me a crop.
I have two packages of 2009 Viva Italia tomato seeds unopened. These are the maters I make my hubby's chili from, so I'm hoping they will be viable. Lisa kindly sent me some Moneymaker tomato seeds, so I should be set as far as maters are concerned.
I saved seeds this summer from California Wonder sweet peppers and Charentais melons.
The asparagus bed will be 5 years old this summer. I'm hoping it will give a big enough crop that I have enough to freeze.
I've ordered sweet potato slips. This year the slips yielded 300lbs of sweets, so they are a bargain! I still have sweet potatoes in storage and some I've cooked and frozen.
I might order some onion sets. I did set some garlic cloves in November, but it's been so very cold, I wonder if they will survive the winter. If not, I have more cloves I can set in the spring.
There are several packets of various other vegetables and herbs in the basket I keep them in. I'll just sow the seeds and see what grows!
As a Christmas gift, I asked my daughter to renew my subscription to Dave's Garden - so you're not going to get rid of me any time soon! (LOL)
Your Viva Italia seeds should be just fine. I have planted 7-8 year old tomato seeds and they have germinated. It's the others I'm not sure about! Will run some tests in the next few days to see about viability.
Squash, melon and cucumber last several years. Celery and parsley have better germination after 2-3 years and also last several years. Lettuce and cole crops can also have a longer shelf life. Beans are iffy. Some last while others don't. Onions, carrots and corn usually don't last that long.
If you already have them, you might as well use them. Germination maybe only 40-50%. But, if there are a lot of leftover seeds, it won't matter much.
I read an article a few years ago about successful germination of a palm seed over 1000 years old. Now, that's old!
I've read that parsnip seeds lose viability after a year. I've had very good luck with other seeds. Good luck.
I've had mixed results with old seeds, so I'm going to do a germination test before I plant. Moisten a paper towel and place ten or so seeds on towel in plastic bag and set in warm spot for a week. See what grows. Here's a link to some good info on seed testing-
http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/vege004/vege004.htm
There are seed viability tables on the web. I found them by googling "seed viability chart"-
http://www.hillgardens.com/seed_longevity.htm
http://dirthappy.blogspot.com/2010/02/seed-viability-table.html
How seeds are stored is important. They should be kept in a cool, dry place. If they have been accidentally left in the car for a week in August, they don't have a high germination rate, even if they're fairly fresh.
What if the seeds freeze? Mine were left inadvertently in a house now closed for the winter. I realized it only after a cold spell. Does anyone have experience with that?
The ones I care about most are summer squash (from Italy), nasturtiums (color-specific Fordhooks, collected this fall), Nicotiana Langsdorfii, Lime and Niki.
I think Cosmos, Cleome and alyssum will be OK, Lettuce NG. Thanks!
Frozen seeds will probably be alright. There was something in one of the other forums about this (tomato?). If the seeds have dried so they have just enough moisture to retain viability, then freezing is OK. Freezing very fresh seeds is not good.
I went through my warm season seeds last night. Most are from 2010 and 2009, with a few from 2008. There are over 100 types of tomatoes. So, i'm good for these for a while. The only thing I am low on is yard long beans. This maybe a problem, though. I will start out buying one or two types of beans and end up with a $50 or $60 order of things I don't need but 'look fun to try this year'.