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Vegetable seed longevity germination past use by date
a1154
Posts: 1,108
in Fruit & veg
Hi, sorry if this has been covered before, but I couldnt find anything. I have a lot of seeds about 4 years old and wondered if they would be ok to use.
I decided to experiment, just because i had them anyway, and wondered if there are general rules about how long seeds can be kept. I had heard parsnip seeds are 1 season only, so didnt sow those. Beans and peas seem totally reliable as if they were new. Beetroots too i have loads of seedlings.
With several types of lettuce though, i have nothing, and nothing with courgette. What have other people found? Or are you not daft enough to try it !
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Posts
Only thing I know that won't germinate after use by date is parsnip. I often sow stuff 2 / 3 yrs past date & more, just sow extra to compensate for what doesn't germinate. Nothing lost
Cumbers & courgettes I don't usually have any left so can't advise on those. Toms I've grown 5 years out of date.
Hi a1154
found a gift box this spring filled with all the seed packets for a great flower and veg garden. unfortunately theyd gone missing in 1994 so seeds 20 yrs old. planted them all. except for sunflowers and a single nasturtium out of about a hundred the flowers seem gone-a few pumpkins have germinated and perhaps some basella. if there hadnt been so many i would have damp paper toweled them. there are a couple of sites if you google seed longevity.