Seed Shelf Life & Best Before Date

[Dynamite]

Hi all, does anyone have a list of length of time it’s best to keep seeds for. I am sure they are all different but was wondering how long you can viably keep them in your collection.

I bet some keep for years but some only 1 season maybe?

This would definitely help me and also some newbies on the Vine.

Kind Regards..........Rob

[veggiechicken]

This is the one I use FAQ: How long do vegetable seeds last? How to store them and how long they keep.

[nickdub]

Hi Rob,
You're right in a general sense that some seeds will stay viable much longer than others and a list of expected lifespans is useful.

On a practical note also remember that how you store your seeds also makes a difference. A lot of seeds will last much longer if they are kept dry and cold. So sealing them in a zip-lock bag with a sachet of silica gel and putting that in the cool part of the fridge will help a lot for most sorts of seed. Generally the worst thing you can do with seed packets is to keep them in the greenhouse, as usually that is warm and moist, but that's where a lot of them end up for convenience.