Carrot seed lifespan - a warning!!

[sparrow100]

I chit parsnip seed and haven't had a problem - but I haven't chitted carrot seed. Maybe that's something to do one evening when it's a little warmer. Mine are all fairly old and kept in a centrally heated flat, so probably viability is speeding downhill! (VSP seeds are kept in the coolest room, in a chest of drawers!)

[Snoop Puss]

Carrot seeds are so tiny, I can't imagine being able to sow them without damaging them once chitted.

Last year, all my carrot seeds were in their sow-by year, but I'd had them a while. Out of a total of maybe 1500 seeds sown, three or four germinated. Very disappointing! I'm going for all new seeds next year. One year, I had brilliant carrots, so I know it can be done. I presumed it was the regular watering pre-germination, but it could be that part of it was because the seeds were all new. (That year I grew Amsterdam Sprint, Nantes, Rouge de Sang, Spanish Black and Autumn King, and they all did well.)

[Small pumpkin]

I've just looked at my carrot seeds
I've only got 2 packets in date!
Lots of mine were packed date rather than sow by. Oldest packed date is 2013, most 2014, one 2015 &. One 2017.
Sow by date, oldest 2014 and 2017,19 & 21.
Think I will be sowing lots of carrots next year.

[Alison]

I read in the past that they could be iffy on next year germination but when I've done viability tests and subsequent sowings I've had no problems at all. I eat a lot of carrots but usually grow at least 3 varieties so each packet lasts about 3 years. Perfectly good germination and crops so long as you don't sow too early as they don't like the cold