Seed viable???

[Queen Bee]

How long do most veggie seeds stay 'good'?? I went to the groc. store today (owner is a friend), he had several jars of diifferent types of seeds 'that he couldn't sell because they were old' but he gave me some of each! So, how long would these stay viable? I am doing a germation test on them..Thank you Queen Bee

[flowergurl]

It depends on what kind they are.
Some things like onions are only good for a year.
Others like cukes and lettuce will last for around 5 years.
Provided the seeds are kept in a cool dry enviroment.

[culpeper]

Below is a table I've put together. It doesn't transfer well here (originally a MS Word table), but it has 4 columns.

Life Expectancy for Seeds Stored Under Perfect Conditions

Seed Viability in years Seed Viability in years
African Daisy 3 Leek 1-2
Alyssum 4 Lettuce 5
Amaranth 3+ Muskmelon 5
Asparagus 3 Mustard 4
Aster 2 Nasturtium 5
Bean 3-4 Okra 2-3
Beetroot 4 Onion 1
Broccoli 3-5 Pansy 3
Brussels Sprouts 4 Parsley 1-2
Cabbage 4-5 Parsnip 1
Calendula 5 Peas 2-3
Capsicum 4 Petunia 3
Carnation 5 Phlox 2
Carrot 3 Pumpkin 4
Cauliflower 4-5 Radish 5
Celery 3-5 Rutabaga 4
Celeriac 5 Scabiosa 3
Chard 4 Shasta Daisy 3
Chicory 4 Spinach 3-5
Chinese Cabbage 3 Squash 4
Chrysanthemum 5 Snapdragon 3
Collards 5 Stock 5
Corn 2 Sunflower 6
Cosmos 3 Sweet Pea (ornamental) 2
Cucumber 5 Swiss Chard 4-5
Delphinium 1 Tomato 4
Dusty Miller 3 Turnip 4-5
Eggplant 4-5 Verbena 3
Endive 5 Watercress 4-5
French Marigold 3 Watermelon 4-5
Hollyhock 5 Zinnia 5
Kale 4 Zucchini 5
Kohlrabi 3-5

[LMonty]

you can do a "quick and dirty" seed germination test very easily.

take 10 seeds of each vaiety, place 10 seeds of each variety in the center of a rolled up paper towel, roll the towel up tight. Run it under the sink (warm water) then wring it out to damp dry. Place it in a plastic sandwich bag, then write the name of the seed/ variety on the bag. seal the bag about 3/4 way. Put in a comfotably warm place, check about every third day to see how many germinate. if you get 7 seeds that germinate you have about a 70% rate, if you get 9 that germ, a 90% rate, etc.

[Michael Kawalek]

Hi Queen Bee
I've done some informal tests with seeds that are of known age. We moved into our house in 1994 and I started the back yard from seed (mixed fescue). I saved the extra seed in a glass jar in the back of the frig. Periodicly I would have to reseed after yardwork or whatever, and the seed lasted 7 years with no apparent lack of viability.

A second experiment was with pinto beans I bought in 1999 preparing for Y2K. It took till 2007 to use up the last of those beans and I did a germination test on the last of them. Seven out of 10 beans still germinated (70% germination) after 8 years. I'm sure if I had kept them in a cool, dark spot, they'd last even longer.

I think the key to longevity is keeping the seed cold and dry in a dark place. Placing them in a glass jar in the frig is perfect, because they won't absorb moisture and will stay uniformly cold.
Michael

[EDDIE BUCK]

The s out of the bag now. I've been getting them seed and using for covercrops since most won't come up.LOL I've heard of seed found in Egyptian tombs that would germ after thousands of years, guess they were kept cool and dry and bug free.

[goatsareus]

hey culpeper, thanks for the list, got it cut and pasted!