All of my lettuce seed varieties fit into this gallon size mason jar. As seeds age, their germination rate naturally declines. All seeds will stay viable for at least a year, and storing seeds properly can allow many seeds to remain viable even longer. If you need some tips for getting your seeds started in the spring, check out my guide to starting seeds indoors.
TIP: Toss expired seeds into a wild section of the garden. Sometimes they produce a surprise crop! It was fun to see what would grow in the wild area! All in all, storing storing seeds properly will allow you to make the most out of your investment and have a successful garden season with high quality seeds.
Having a small seed bank at hand has been both a bane and a source of pride… I have dealt with the loss of seeds from moisture as well as failure to germinate for unknown reasons.
Its always fun to see what I can get to return year after year, for free, I would love doing permaculture but the hubby is a lawnmowin junkie LOL. I really enjoyed the info on the seed lifetime… never realized that they were different, although it makes sense… knowing some plants produce every year and some at varying intervals. Something new for me to learn about. All in all an excellent article. I like your blog very much. Thanks so much for taking the time to share. Do you think coffee cans work for storing seeds?
My basement is old, damp and drystack stone, I am not sure if this would be a good location and there is not enough room in the fridge. I have a lot of seeds? My concern with the coffee cans is about the moisture getting through. As long as you use a good number of those silica gel packets in the cans to absorb the moisture, they should be okay. Perhaps try it with a few seed packets before betting your whole collection on it!
Thanks for sharing! So informative! As a new gardener, I thought simply laying the seed packets out are totally fine! Oh, my! That would have been quite a disappointment.
Some people store them in sealed plastic bags, while others keep them in glass jars in the refrigerator. Whatever works best for you is fine, but the important thing is that they not be exposed to moisture. Wetness can quickly cause mold to grow, killing the seeds. In this situation, you can test the seeds a few weeks before planting time by taking several seeds, placing them on a moist paper towel, covering it with plastic and placing it in a warm spot.
To help you figure out if your seeds are still viable, refer to the following chart, which indicates the life expectancies of certain types of vegetable seeds stored under ideal conditions.
The chart has been modified from D. Maynard and G. Can anyone suggest a good beginners guide for backyard companion planting in a temperate climate of NSW…Please….. This includes most of southern coastal Australia from Melbourne and Adelaide through to Perth, the coastal region south of Sydney, the New South Wales tablelands ….
I have seeds still attached to the plants, hung up for a couple of years in my garage. Sometimes they are knocked down — now I have lettuces growing on my lawn, from when I sweep, lol. I have heirloom tomato seeds that are over ten years old.
They still survived the Texas heat and humidity! The seeds that you can buy today for these two wonderful peppers are descendants of the seeds found in that old freezer. I wouls suspect that the freezer was in storage and not in operation. These work really well!
If I store seeds for many years about 3 to 4 and plant them after tha , and they some how manage to germinate can I except them to grow to their fullest and make good produce?
Especially green beans seeds. I threw some very old long bean seed into the garden. With the way the government is getting I would like to have many seeds froze up in my freezer so if times get tough I can plant them each year. Is it better to freeze or is it better to keep in tins in the dark.
But in order to save seeds from them they need to stay on the vine a lot longer. BklynGardener ExtravagantG. How do you find out? Look no further! How do you know if your seeds are still viable? Check the dates on your packets! Thank you for the handy list! Like many, I just had no idea what to expect from my old seeds. I definitely had some failures this year: 3yo onions and 4yo spinach. This year I combined all my leftover carrot seeds from a few years ago and just broadcast them into a tray… whatever decides to spring up will be a bonus this season!
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Written by Linda Ly. Related: Grow Tomatoes Like a Boss With These 10 Easy Tips Inevitably, a handful of seed packets get tossed in the compost pile as I double-check the dates… peppers from , onions from three years ago. Are they still good? Should I get new ones? How long do seeds really last, anyway?
How long do seeds last? What are ideal storage conditions for seeds? What temperature should you store seeds at? Above: A bean seedling that sprouted within days of being sowed. The cotyledons clearly look healthy and vibrant.
Above: A bean seedling sprouted from a three-year-old seed with missing cotyledons. This seedling will never develop into a normal productive plant.
Image: Oregon State University. Can you freeze seeds to make them last longer? What temperature will kill seeds? Should you vacuum seal seeds? Do seeds need air in storage? Do seeds expire? Kim January 26, at pm. Linda Ly February 5, at pm. You just never know! Julius December 31, at am. I thought seeds are like diamonds… they last forever Reply. Linda Ly January 3, at pm. Only in the deep freeze. Ruel May 6, at am. Julius i need a woman last forever lol Reply. Linda from Garden Betty November 15, at am.
Nannie February 29, at pm. Linda from Garden Betty March 9, at pm. Joe Norris June 16, at pm. Linda from Garden Betty August 4, at pm.
Wow, impressive lifespan for those seeds! Rogue Girl May 15, at pm. Linda from Garden Betty June 9, at pm. David Robertson March 30, at pm. Linda from Garden Betty June 10, at am.
Nancy T. Saner January 9, at am. Linda from Garden Betty January 10, at am. Happy planting! Lynn July 23, at pm.
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