By Heather Rhoades
It happens to all gardeners. We tend to go a bit hog wild in the spring and we buy way too many seeds. Sure, we plant a few but then we throw the rest in a drawer and next year, or even many years later, we find them and wonder about the possibility of planting old seeds. Is it a waste of time germinating old seeds?
Can you use out of date seeds?
The simple answer is planting old seeds is possible and ok. No harm will come from using old seeds. The flowers or fruit that come from out of date seeds will be of the same quality as if they were grown from fresh seeds. Using seeds from old vegetable seed packets will produce vegetables that are just as nutritious as those from current season seeds.
The question is not so much about using old seeds, but rather your chances of germinating old seeds.
How long will old seeds stay viable?
In order for a seed to germinate, it must be viable, or alive. All seeds are alive when they come from their mother plant. There is a baby plant in every seed and as long as it is alive, the seed will grow even if they are technically out of date seeds.
Three major things affect a seed’s viability:
- Age
- Type
- Storage conditions
Age – All seeds stay viable for at least a year and most will be viable for 2 years. After the first year, the germination rates for out of date seeds will start to fall.
Type – The type of seed can affect how long a seed stays viable. Some seeds, like corn or peppers, will have a hard time surviving past the 2 year mark. Some seeds, like beans, peas, tomatoes and carrots, can stay viable as long as 4 years. Seeds like cucumber or lettuce can stay viable up to 6 years.
Storage conditions – Your old vegetable seed packets and flower packets will have a much better chance of keeping their seeds viable if they are stored well. Seeds will stay viable much longer if stored in a cool, dark place. Your produce drawer in the refrigerator is a good choice for storage.
Regardless of the date on your seed packet, germinating old seeds is worth a shot. Using old seeds is a great way to make up for last year’s excesses.
Print This Article - Printer Friendly Version
Helpful?:
Loading ...
By Heather Rhoades
Can you use out of date seeds?
The simple answer is planting old seeds is possible and ok. No harm will come from using old seeds. The flowers or fruit that come from out of date seeds will be of the same quality as if they were grown from fresh seeds. Using seeds from old vegetable seed packets will produce vegetables that are just as nutritious as those from current season seeds.
The question is not so much about using old seeds, but rather your chances of germinating old seeds.
How long will old seeds stay viable?
In order for a seed to germinate, it must be viable, or alive. All seeds are alive when they come from their mother plant. There is a baby plant in every seed and as long as it is alive, the seed will grow even if they are technically out of date seeds.
Three major things affect a seed’s viability:
Age – All seeds stay viable for at least a year and most will be viable for 2 years. After the first year, the germination rates for out of date seeds will start to fall.
Type – The type of seed can affect how long a seed stays viable. Some seeds, like corn or peppers, will have a hard time surviving past the 2 year mark. Some seeds, like beans, peas, tomatoes and carrots, can stay viable as long as 4 years. Seeds like cucumber or lettuce can stay viable up to 6 years.
Storage conditions – Your old vegetable seed packets and flower packets will have a much better chance of keeping their seeds viable if they are stored well. Seeds will stay viable much longer if stored in a cool, dark place. Your produce drawer in the refrigerator is a good choice for storage.
Regardless of the date on your seed packet, germinating old seeds is worth a shot. Using old seeds is a great way to make up for last year’s excesses.
Print This Article - Printer Friendly Version
TweetMore Information:
Didn't find the answer to your question? Ask one of our gardening experts.
Do you know anything about gardening? Help answer someone's gardening question.
Read more articles in Gardening How To.
You might also be interested in these articles: