testing old seeds - are they ok to use?

[forestdale]

I'm sure you've all been in this situation.  You're sorting through your garden supplies and find a few packets of seeds - opened - that you think you used last year, or was it the year before.  There is no date on the packet so you can't be sure if they're ok to plant or not.  Are they viable seeds?  You don't want to use these seeds in your garden if they are too old to germinate.

There is a way to test the seeds to see if they're ok to use.

SEED GERMINATION TEST

You'll need:

seeds, water, spray bottle, paper towel, ziplock bag, marker.

Take 6 - 10 seeds and place them on one sheet of paper towel.  Place them on one side of the towel so you can roll the towel later without the seeds spilling off.

Spray the seeds until they are moist and the area of paper towel around them is also moist.  You don't want it to be wet but you need enough moisture to penetrate the seed casing.  If the towel drips when you pick it up, it's too wet.

Using your marker, write the seed type on the paper towel.

Roll the towel into cigar shape.

Place the seeded paper cigars into your ziplock bag and seal the bag.  You can put as many towels into the bag as will fit.  Just make sure the seeds don't spill off and make sure you mark every towel with the seeds' name.

Place the bag in a warm place.  Seeds germinate best between 70 - 80 F degrees.

If the paper dries out at any time, use your spray bottle away to apply more moisture.

After 3 days check the bag.  Some seeds will germinate in three days, others will take three weeks.  Keep checking every couple of days for signs of life.  If nothing much happens in 3 weeks, throw the seeds away and buy new ones.

If only 1 or 2 (or none) of your 10 seeds germinate, they are no good.

If 4 or more seeds germinate those seeds are fine to use in your garden.

The seed germinates when you see that the seed casing has opened to reveal a little shoot.

It's really a good idea to re-seal your seeds after you use them, make sure they are dated and stored in an air-tight container.

[homesteadmamma]

Rhonda I've used my seeds 2 years in a row BUT refuse to use them after that. There is just too much work to gardening to have them fail so I just get rid of them. I've seldom had failure in the second year.

Also remember to store them in a cool, dry place.

[forestdale]

Many seeds are okay up to their third year but it often depends on how well they are stored as to how long they stay viable. Doing the seeds germination test a month before you begin planting your seeds will give you a good idea of what will grow and what won't.

[kestrel91316]

If you store seeds in the fridge many of them will keep for YEARS. I think there is a detailed discussion of this in Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening. I do know that onion seeds don't keep well at all. My personal experience is that tomato seeds keep for years if stored properly.

[forestdale]

I have very old tomato seeds too, Gayle, and they are still viable, I have sown them again this year. And you're right, many seeds have a long shelf life if stored correctly.

[jlxian]

I will give this technique a try on some of my very old seeds. Thanks!