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Originally Posted by Cutecumber  Perhaps its me, but I could have sworn that my shop-bought seeds (kept warm and packets exposed to the light) haven't done as well as that from mail-order, over the years. |
Yes I agree, the mail order ones are perhaps better than shop bought that have been exposed to light for too long. Imagine how worse the car boot sale ones would be, exposed to direct sunlight!!!
May freeze them to help stop deteriorate any further, any faster.
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Originally Posted by bubblewrap Probably not relevant but the RHA germinated some seeds recently 200 years old  |
Yes I read that too recently. Incredible! Maybe I shouldn't be too worried.
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Originally Posted by Flummery You can always try a few on damp kitchen paper a week or so before you intend to sow them, just to check viability. Mr Flum and his Dad once found a tin of elderly seed packets which had belonged to Grandad. Many of them came. They had an allotment at the time so gave over a small bed to the old stuff, just to see. The brassica family fared best - we had some cracking turnips - golden ball, really hot & spicy! |
Thanks Flummery, encouraging story.
Been researching on the Net and this is what I've come up with in case anybody's interested in storing their seeds for longer life.
The shorted lived seeds tend to be Carrot, Parsnip, Leek, Onion, Spinach, Beet and some herbs, may remain viable between 6 months and 2 years...I don't know but it sounds like mostly Root and Onion/allium family vegetables.
They say Cauliflower seeds can last between 3 to 4 years depending on variety. Some variety may only last for 1 year. I think Flummery is right, the Brassicas are tough old birds for seeds.
Tomoto, pepper, aubergine, cucumber, cucurbits and bean seeds can easily remain viable for 4-5 years if kept dry at room temperature.
Keeping seeds in fridge or freezer can substantially prolong the seed life (even more so for freezer) but this may be more relevant if one lives in a very hot & humid country. However beware of frost free models of fridge/freezer, they dehydrate the seeds by sucking the moisture out of them. For your precious heirloom seeds, freezer may offer you a peace of mind over a much longer period of time...over 10 years possibly???
To store seeds in fridge/freezer, make sure you keep them inside an airtight, moisture-proof container such as a glass jar with an airtight lid. Also while planting out, never leave seed packets lying around in the sun or let them get wet.