Have Drawers Full of Old Seed Packets?
If you are like a lot of gardeners, you might have a drawer or box filled with old seed packets. Some may be open, some never touched, and some you may not even remember where they came from.
While many of those seeds may indeed still be viable, chances are most of them are not if one or two years have passed. But do not despair, there are a few straightforward ways to take control of the situation!
Testing The Seeds
There is a simple test you can do before you plant to see if those seeds will germinate. There is nothing worse than spending time prepping the soil, planting the seeds, waiting weeks for them to sprout only to have nothing come up in the garden.
To do the test, take 10 – 15 seeds from one of the packets and place them on one side of a damp paper towel. Fold the towel over on top of the seeds, place it carefully in a plastic bag, and put it on a windowsill. After a week or two (depending on the specific germination rate for each type of seed), open the paper towel to see how many have sprouted. If none, put it back for more time. Once you have a good idea of the percentage that germinated you can make your decision on whether or not they are worth using. If less than 20% have sprouted, they should not be used. Even if you do get some plants to come up, they likely will not be as strong and healthy as they should be. If over 80% of your test seeds germinate, you have a good chance of a strong crop. For the “in between” situations, you can try sowing more seeds than you need and thin out the weak ones if you want to take the chance and give it a go.
Storing Seeds Safely
There are some basic “seed storing” rules of thumb that you can follow to increase your chances of having healthy seeds to use for the next couple of years.
- Always store seeds in an airtight container such as a mason jar or tightly sealed plastic bag to protect them from moisture and pests. You can add desiccant packets or dry rice with the seeds to help absorb excess moisture.
- Keep the seeds in an area with a constant cool temperature and away from light. The refrigerator can work for this if the temperature is not set too cold.
- Protect from excessive heat (such as in an attic).
Good storage is important but even under optimum conditions, some varieties of seeds just do not have it in them to produce after years in storage. For instance, perennial flower seeds will generally last up to 5 years, while annual flower seeds only last about 3 years. And when it comes to planting vegetables, we find even bigger differences in their longevity depending on the type. The list below will provide a good guideline for how long you can keep veggie seeds in storage while expecting any level of success.
Finally, whenever you can, use a seed catalog to order your seeds. It will often give you more cultivar options and more information in general than what is on the seed packets in stores. Besides detail such as when and how to plant, disease tips, and harvesting, the catalog may also provide information on seed longevity. For more information on seeds, you can check out this great webinar from OSU Extension called “Understanding Seed Characteristics”. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/growing-oregon-gardeners-level-series
Good luck and happy gardening!
