Out of date seeds

[Thora]

I have several packs of seeds with use by dates from 2015 and 2019. Has anyone had any luck with seeds this old? I don’t want to waste them if could be okay but also don’t want to waste time if they are really no good.

Thanks.

[mrbadexample]

Some will doubtless be ok. Either sow heavily or do a germination test on the windowsill?

Should add that some things last better than others. Parsnip and carrot tend to be a bit rubbish with old seed.

[Thora]

I’ve not done a germination test before, thank you for the suggestion I will give it a go.

[Small pumpkin]

Welcome to the vine.
Sow them
To coin a phrase. Every seed deserves a chance .

You may need to sow more than you want because germination could be lower. But you got very little to lose as you already have the seeds.
Go on, do it

[veggiechicken]

Hi Thora and welcome.

There's advice on how long seeds last from RealSeeds here https://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedlife.html

To quote SmallPumpkin "Every seed deserves a chance"

[Gillykat]

Funnily enough I just found an old packet of seeds yesterday whilst sorting though my box of flower seeds. They're Pansy 'giant flowered mix' and the date to be sown by is......June 2007

I'm going to sow them and see what happens

[Bren In Pots]

You've nothing to lose but time and a bit of compost if they do fail to germinate, me I'd sow them.

[Jimmy]

I have had quite a few packets of brand new seeds not germinating or germinating very badly.
Its not the environment as similar seeds do OK.
For example I divide a seed tray into sections and sow different tomato seeds in each area.
Some very old seeds germinate well and some brand new ones not so.
Given that some seeds are very expensive and only have a few in the packet it's quite annoying.
Some packets cost about £4 and only have 6 seeds!

Jimmy

[Containergardener]

I've a load of veg seed out of date I wont be sowing

[muckdiva]

Tomatoes definitely worth trying as they seem to have a long shelf life.

[veggiechicken]

Some packets cost about £4 and only have 6 seeds!

I work out the cost per seed before buying (66p). If only 4 germinate its £1 a plant. Sometimes its as cheap to buy seedling plants and let someone else take the strain.

[ameno]

I find carrot have very short shelf lives. Even the year after you buy them, the germination rate drops off, and the year after that they're useless.
Onions and lettuce I find aren't great, either. Beetroot, too.

Peas and beans, on the other hand, usually last very well, as do tomatoes.

[smallblueplanet]

I find that fresh seed is just so much easier to germinate. There are certain seeds that I'll sow anyway and see how they go, but recently I've decided that seeds are cheap and time is limited.

[toomanytommytoes]

Interestingly a 2017 packet of carrot seed from last year's Random Seed Swap germinated much, much better than a 2019 packet from Thompson & Morgan

[Penellype]

It really does depend a lot on the type of veg. This handy chart comes from Peter Seabrook's Complete Vegetable Gardener and is a good guide.



I'm currently trying turnips from 2 out of date packets - Atlantic (sow by 2013) and Snowball (sow by 2017) as I have the seeds. Both were sown on 26th March in loo roll innards in the same seed tray and kept indoors. The Snowball started to appear yesterday and it looks like at least half are germinating. There is no sign of Atlantic, although it is probably too soon to write them off completely.