Always flower seeds. I have seeds from my flowers that I take when ready and store in the fridge in little pots. Others I have bought - and wasted as they've not germinated. How old is a seed allowed to get before it can't be used anymore? If a seed is subjected to heat - never cold, can it then be sown? Love the soaking in warm water tip; surely one I'll try along with the other tips. Thank you.
Some seeds have a very short lifespan, and others last for years especially if stored in a fridge. My primulas I find I get good germination if I sow them fresh (in the green) and very little from dried seed. Collecting your own seed is good, but some flowers have sterile seeds so it all depends on the variety.
Some seeds need some heat to ripen, but after that heat tends to kills them.
I think you may need to check the specifics for each type of seed you want to sow!
Thanks again for your tips. It looks like I have been doing a lot wrong - drying seeds; are they ripe; dead seeds from heat; sterile seeds: my head is doing circles, but I will endeavour to continue to try with all of the above in mind. I'll let you know.
As others have said, plants vary hugely in the shelf life of their seeds. A rough guide, though not infallible, is the smaller the seed, the longer it remains viable. Dust-fine seeds found in the pyramids have been known to germinate. By way of contrast, Keith Mossman in The Pip Book says if you want to grow your own lychee plant from seed, you need to have the pots of compost ready to spit the seeds into while you're still munching the fruit. Those seeds are as big as acorns.
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How old is a seed allowed to get before it can't be used anymore? If a seed is subjected to heat - never cold, can it then be sown?
Love the soaking in warm water tip; surely one I'll try along with the other tips. Thank you.
Some seeds need some heat to ripen, but after that heat tends to kills them.
I think you may need to check the specifics for each type of seed you want to sow!
It might be simpler to sow them as soon as they’re harvested 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As others have said, plants vary hugely in the shelf life of their seeds. A rough guide, though not infallible, is the smaller the seed, the longer it remains viable. Dust-fine seeds found in the pyramids have been known to germinate. By way of contrast, Keith Mossman in The Pip Book says if you want to grow your own lychee plant from seed, you need to have the pots of compost ready to spit the seeds into while you're still munching the fruit. Those seeds are as big as acorns.
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-test-seed-viability/