How many packets of seeds have you got?

[Alison]

On Gardeners World this week, Monty said we should ruthlessly go through our seeds and throw away any that are more than 2 years old.

Do any of you actually do this? I don't!

Depends on if they are viable, don't keep parsnips more than a couple of years but some of mine are 10+ years old and germinating quite happily. If they don't germinate I throw the others out but do it on evidence not based on a date that can't possibly be true for all types of fruit and veg as experience shows the likes of brassicas last far longer than say carrots.

Re numbers of packets, I have 274 packets on my spreadsheet but I know there are some missing plus I've nit bought anything new for next year and there are a few things I want to try. In addition, that doesn't include all my saved seeds that are still drying out, mainly peas and beans but also a few tomatoes and peppers.

[Alison]

Hope your not cheating VC and counting those in the seed swap? for the record I have 28

I have more varieties of tomato than that.

[noviceveggrower]

Just counting as I go. Wait a sec. Didn't loose count so here we go.
95 veg and salad seed packets and 32 packets of flower seeds.
This is after I sent parcel to VC for the seed swap and given some out to friends and family who grow some of their own to.

[Noosner]

On Gardeners World this week, Monty said we should ruthlessly go through our seeds and throw away any that are more than 2 years old.

Do any of you actually do this? I don't!

I can't imagine such profligacy! I will throw out a pack of seeds if they don't seem to germinate, but I give them loads of tries first, over several years. I am very patient. Or stingy.

I have some packs of seeds that I've been using for 5 years, e.g. Red Winter Kale and Blauhilde beans. There are plenty of seeds left in the packs too, so hopefully they'll last me for another few years yet!

[Nicos]

On Gardeners World this week, Monty said we should ruthlessly go through our seeds and throw away any that are more than 2 years old.

Do any of you actually do this? I don't!

Such a waste!
I wouldn't have put him down as a member of the 'disposable society'...more of the 'recycle recycle'???

I'm wondering if he's being sponsored by a seed company?

That'd be a good question to put to him!

[Nicos]

As for my seeds...I daren't even count them!... But I'm in with the high range group peeps!

Most of mine have got bits of soil stuck to or smeared across them too
When I come across the odd brand new crisp, flat,clean packet I want to open it and peep inside to see how many seeds there are in there!

I do wish some of the seed companies would come up with a packet which opens without having to tear through the information, or turn it upside down to open and consequently the bottom drops out when you next pick it up!

Yup....I'm of the soily,torn, crumpled, folded over packet brigade I'm afraid!

[Small pumpkin]

I will join in later. I have a few jobs to do first. Then I will start counting! For those of you that are to ashamed to count. Man up ! Be proud of your obsession . And we all really really want to now who is the biggest seed oholic

[Kristen]

On Gardeners World this week, Monty said we should ruthlessly go through our seeds and throw away any that are more than 2 years old.

Do any of you actually do this? I don't!

I do, although I don't have a 2 year rule. Most of my seeds I buy cheap in the end of season sales, particularly Wyevale 50p-a-packet sale in September, so a) they haven't exactly cost me a fortune compared to value of the crop and b) they are already a year old when I buy them. For varieties I like I buy enough for 2 years, in case they aren't available in next year's sale (except short viability seeds, like parsnips), so by the time we get to the first year that I might sow then they are perhaps 3 years old ... 4 if the primary packet I bought lasts me a couple of seasons (I don't open the second packet's foil packet until I am ready to use them, which helps prolong viability)

Maybe you don't get 100% germination with old seed, but you allow for that, and if 100 seeds gives you even 50 plants, it's better value than binning them.

I have found that some "old" seeds germinate poorly and produce weak plants which never really catch up, or are more prone to disease, so unless I have a rare variety for which I can't easily (or affordably!) get fresh seed I don't keep my seed indefinitely. Some things that are hard coated, like Cannas, are good for many years, but I don't see any point trying to make all 1,500 seeds in a packet of lettuce seed germinate at 6 seeds per fortnight over a few months of year ... over many decades!

As to Monty being sponsored by seed companies to get everyone to throw away packets and buy new - really?

I expect we all buy from dozens of different companies, I can't see any advantage of one company, or even several, slipping him a wedge to say something like that. Having said that it would be good to know what freebies he does get, as I think it would avoid any sort of controversy. He has shiny garden tools, and lots of them, and often unusual things from the likes of De Wit and Sneeboer which certainly aint cheap! but I have no idea if they were gifts, or whether he just likes & collects that sort of things and makes enough money so that he can treat himself. But as I said I think it would be better that , whichever it is, that was public knowledge.

[Kristen]

I do wish some of the seed companies would come up with a packet which opens without having to tear through the information, or turn it upside down to open and consequently the bottom drops out when you next pick it up!

Agreed. I want mine opened without cutting/tearing through any of the information on the packet either, including the Price and Year along the top strip at the back. I neatly cut 1mm of the edge of my packets, just enough to fish the inner foil packet out. Doesn't work for bigger seeds that are loose-packed in the packet though

[arpoet]

And I thought I was sad... Im still using cabbage seed that is 6 year old and still doing well.
I wont just throw seeds away, even when they wont grow.. I tip in on the compost heap.
When clearing my dads house out a few years ago I found several packets of flower seeds that were years old. I opened them and scattered them on my then rockery and had a super show of love lie bleeding and many others. Thanks dad.

[Small pumpkin]

Just finished counting, I have ................................ ( only ) 237
That's 20 packets of flower seeds the rest is veg, herbs & salad. No self saved seeds were included in the count.
My organisation is the good old biscuit tin. One tin is flowers & herbs. One salad, Two are veg.



In side tin organisation is good old elastic bands & scraps of paper. Sorted into month of sowing & location ( finial destination, tunnel, raised beds, tubs or repeat sowing )

[Guest]

Most of my seeds I buy cheap in the end of season sales, particularly Wyevale 50p-a-packet sale in September,

When I was in Ipswich I used to go Nov. time (to wyevale) and the seeds were 1/2 price and if you got t+m seeds you got the free trial pack for every 2 other packs of seeds.

I am trying to be good nowadays. My new years res. (last year) was I could only swap seed or buy with ones I had sold. I failed quite quickly but it has helped a bit

As for germ. I tend to find the larger companies aren't that great anyway. I have also had seeds that germinated better the older they got (liquorice comes to mind) Like most things I find it is trial, error and acceptance

[dogsbody]

Only 353 here....

[sparrow100]

On Gardeners World this week, Monty said we should ruthlessly go through our seeds and throw away any that are more than 2 years old.

Do any of you actually do this? I don't!

Nope - I chit them if I am in any doubt. I have flower seeds from my Mum that, according to the packet, ran out in the 1980s and yet they still come up trumps. My parsnip seed was 3 years old and 50% chitted well. I just then failed to look after them. (I saw that too and couldn't believe my eyes. Was wishing I could just grab the bucket of discarded seeds!)

[Martin H]

I do wish some of the seed companies would come up with a packet which opens without having to tear through the information, or turn it upside down to open and consequently the bottom drops out when you next pick it up!

I use my gardening knife to cut straight across the width of the front of the packet, leaving the back intact. This means I can get the foil envelope in and out and still read everything on the packet.

Works for me