How Long Do Seeds Last? Have you ever dug right into a pile of old seeds and wondered in the event that they’re nonetheless good? How lengthy do seeds final anyway? The short answer: It relies upon. Here’s what it is advisable to learn about storing your seeds correctly and what you are able to do to maximise the shelf life of your vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. And you’ll take this information with you: simply download my free cheat sheet so you will all the time understand how long you’ll be able to count on the most common backyard seeds to last below superb situations. The start of spring normally sees me sprawled in the middle of the living room flooring, with all my ammo containers, laying out rows and rows of seed packets sorted by vegetable, after which by variety. Some are even shade-coded… I abruptly understand I’ve a relatively unusual obsession with amassing 12 various kinds of purple tomatoes (and counting).
Inevitably, a handful of seed packets get tossed in the compost pile as I double-examine the dates… 2016, onions from three years ago. Some seeds I’ve only sown once or twice however nonetheless have half a packet left, some I’ve saved… … and saved… because they’re really easy to save lots of by the bagful yearly (I’m looking at you, beans). Others are rotated every few seasons as I try new varieties, and by the point I make it back to these Parisienne carrots, it’s already been a couple years. Are they still good? Should I get new ones? How lengthy do seeds really final, anyway? I’ve combed via numerous seed sites and extension websites over time, questioning this very query. How lengthy do seeds last? What are perfect storage situations for seeds? What temperature should you retailer seeds at? How long do seeds last? There seems to be no consensus, particularly when you take into account the environment the seeds were saved in, the quality of the unique crop the seeds had been harvested from, and even the situation of the seeds themselves, as treated seeds could have a different lifespan than seeds of their natural state.
