Old seed, a scrooges nightmare!

[Penellype]

I have a brand new pack of lettuce Emerald Oak that has not managed a single germinated seed in 4 attempts (including putting the pot in the fridge for 24hrs after sowing).

I often use out of date seeds and sometimes you get good plants, sometimes not. It depends a bit on the variety but also on the individual plants themselves. If I am sowing from an old packet I will often sow a few more seeds than I need to make up numbers (I've sown 6 seeds from courgette green bush, sow by 2012 this year and 3 of them germinated although 2 took some time). Some species, particularly things like parsnips really don't like being kept and it is better to start with unopened packets each year. Often unopened packets will keep well regardless of sell by date (within reason) - its when they are opened that the seed starts to deteriorate.

I think the temperature they are kept at also makes a difference - often when I have had poor germination from new seed they have come from a garden centre which is basically a greenhouse, and I have stopped buying seeds from there (although some were fine). Keeping them in a warm room over winter may not be helpful as some seeds require a cooler period before they will germinate.

[ESBkevin]

I'm a scrouge and don't throw out seed very easily. I usually double plant the next year just for the heck of it. I did some old and new parsnips wednesday evening with the old stock thickly applied - we shall see. I always think they have two choices but fragile things I do buy new seed for.

[Kirk]

Found that I don't like throwing old seed, but it is likely a waste to keep. Also I tend to buy what I want each year, so no point in keeping it.

However the old, old leek seed has gone and germinated, dated 2009, and that is a problem as it is not supposidly small leeks.

As a compromise I have decided that I will keep this years seed in the padded envelop it all came in with a mark of 2016 seed written on it. Next year, 2017, I will buy what I want and maybe try some of this years seed again - if it was good. So mainly 2017 seed with some 2016 seed. Then the 2016 seed goes - or gets scattered somewhere, we have some very suitable roundabouts around here.

That way I will have new seed and 1 year old seed. It allows me to see how something new goes and if a disaster I should have an alternative from the previous year. This years disaster has been the Tendersweet carrots, so far less then 5% germination rate, probably close to 2%, and also the squash - none of those germinated, however I suspect it was me not the seed that was the cause of that. Basically not a clue what I was doing, going to do or should do. The squash really had little chance.

[Martin H]

I start most of my veggies off in the greenhouse. If I've got old seed I will try starting them off at the earliest possible date so that if they don't work I can still buy fresh.

More organised people test their seed for germination before using it, but when I try that it seems to go mouldy.

[Guest]

I tend to sow whatever age seed, if it doesn't work it gets a second chance, then if it doesn't work the whole lot gets thrown in. Quite often on the third attempt the whole lot will germinate to spite me

I also tend to grow more than one variety of things to cover me

[Alison]

I genuinely find that most seeds will germinate very well way past their supposed sell by date and am not going to start throwing them away for no good reason. I do find parsnips can be iffy the second year but everything else is fine. Have some cabbage seedlings coming up from a packet which has a 2007 use by date. If in doubt do a germination test on damp kitchen roll before you want the seeds and only buy if needed. Would cost me a fortune to buy new every year. That said, many of my seeds are saved so I wouldn't buy anyway.

[vixylix]

I'm another vote for it just being a funny year... I have new seed and old seed and very old seed and germination has been erratic for all of them. I'd rather just sow and re-sow until something succeeds.

I can't bear to throw them away - and feel ridiculously disappointed on the odd occasion I do actually make it to the end of a seed packet!

[Penellype]

Buying new seed every year really is a waste for most types of seed, the exceptions being parsnips, parsley, and the salsify/scorzonera type, which are best new.

The cucumber, courgette, melon family start to deteriorate after 2 years, which is probably why these tend to be sold in small numbers. Sweet corn is also best renewed after 2 years. Most other things will keep 3 or 4 years, and tomatoes are still pretty good up to 5 and according to one of my gardening books will still produce about 50% germination after 10 years!

[veggiechicken]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ame_89180.html
19% of courgette seeds between 10-20 years old germinated and nearly all Butternut squash seeds but they were a bit younger!

[Containergardener]

Interesting to know . I've still got some old seeds so,il keep trying .