how long do seeds last?

[BetterLateThanNever]

Sorry just thought of another question. How long will a packet of seeds last? I have some seeds left over from last years garden. i just put them in a hutch drawer didn't do anything special to store them. If I don't plant them this year will they still be good for next year?

Another reason I ask this is that this year my mother and I split the cost on some organic heirloom seeds and we are going to try our hand at collecting seed. So how long will they last? I want to try growing different varieties but won't be able to plant every variety every year.

Also if I would like to join a seed exchange program. Do I need to wait a couple of years to plant my collected seeds to make sure they grow and that i collected correctly before I can join such a group?

Thanks
Kim

[Samigirl]

I'm no expert gardener, but I recently planted some seeds from packets that I had in my garage for a couple of years. I planted about 10 different herbs, and only one seems to be a dud.

[suki]

betterlate... no, you don't have to wait a few years before collected seeds will grow. They will grow the next season.

The seeds in your hutch will probably grow just fine. Seeds should be kept in a dry, cool dark place. For long-term storage, there are some extra precautions... but we're talking about storing for decades!

Seed exchange, you can join a group or you can do something informal like my hubby has done. He's a member of idigmygarden.com and they just exchange among themselves regularly. He has quite a collection now.

My hubby wrote an interesting article on seed saving and you can find it at johnosbloggo.blogspot.com

There are several gardening forums available, but for those interested in heirloom and organic, I recommend idigmygarden.com Some of those members have also started message boards but you can learn about them at idig.

Good luck!