how many years do your seeds last

do you save seeds year to year? just wondering how long your garden seeds last and how do you store them year to year. I store my extra seeds in metal resealable containers mostly from cookies, crackers and whatever containers I can acquire. this week im planting seeds in the garden some are 8 to 10 years olds some from 2019 and some I saved from squash and cucumbers last year. im not sure if they will all grow but I will try them anyway

There are a bunch of factors:
1. Do you need *really* reliable germination - fresher seeds are better then.
2. Can you keep them in a fairly consistent temperature. Seeds that I keep in a container in a fridge are more reliable longer.
3. The specific plant - carrot seeds don't keep as long as others from what I've been told. I've been told that some seeds shouldn't dry out or they won't germinate. There were some seeds from an archeological dig that scientists managed to get to germinate (but they jumped through a lot of hoops and only ended up with 1 plant, so they have more work to do!)

I absolutely save seeds and I do my best to treat them well. My public library just started a seed sharing program and they were asking that donated seeds not be more than 3 years old. However, I have a friend who gave me seeds that were younger than that, but had been exposed to high heat, and I had no luck at all with them.

If you have lots of extra seeds, people are known to do a germination test with paper towel in a baggy to see if germination happens before they try to get them to grow in their garden. That said, if they do germinate in the bag, there's no reason not to put the results in soil like you would many other transplants!

Mr Google says:

The oldest plant material successfully germinated is a ~32,000-year-old Silene stenophylla (narrow-leafed campion) seed found in Siberian permafrost.

I have no proof ...

In general, I store my seeds in canning jars in the cellar. For the seeds that I'm interested in, I assume they'll last 5-20 years except for alliums which are 1-2. I'm sure there are all kinds of variations like Jay's mention of carrots, but I don't have room in my memory and my simple approach seems to mostly work for me.

I keep mine in paper envelopes inside a biscuit tin in the back of the fridge, been doing it for years. Tomato and pepper seeds seem to last forever that way, I've had good germination from 6-7 year old ones. Alliums are the ones that catch me out though, anything older than a year and it's basically a coin flip.

If it's a small amount of seed, a paper envolope is fine.

If it's a large amount like beans or peas, old glass milk jugs are my favourte.  

As for how long.  It depends on the individual seed.  Germination tests are good for this.

Flax and carrots seem to have a half life of about a year (after the first year of storage).  So one year after harvest, I can expect 75-90% of the seeds grow, the next year, 50%, the year after that, 25%...  It never really gets to zero.

Whereas peas and beans (when dried well) have a half life of about 10 or 20 years so I don't even bother dating the harvest year on the jar.  

Yeah, I save seeds most years. Storage-wise you’re on the right track so keeping them cool, dry, and dark matters more than the container itself. I usually throw in a silica packet just to keep moisture down. As for age, it really depends on the crop. Things like tomatoes, peppers, and brassicas can stay viable quite a long time (5–10 years sometimes), but onions, parsnips, and corn drop off fast. Squash and cucumbers usually hold up pretty well for several years if stored right. With 8–10 year old seeds, you’ll probably see lower germination, but some should still pop. You can always do a quick germination test indoors (paper towel method) before planting to get an idea. Honestly, I do the same thing usually as you plant them anyway and see what happens

I too have concluded it depends on what type of seeds we're talking about.  I think my lettuce and spinich seeds are too old after a couple of tries of germinating them.  My carrot seeds, I got them to produce carrots multiple years, but I think they're finally too old, we'll see though.  In my experience calendula seeds can last well.  Hoping that will also prove true for my cucumber seeds.  I've learnt an important lesson though that its not good to hang onto seeds for too long through trial and error.

how many years do your seeds last

It depends.  

I have found that saving myself seed every year or two is the best way to go. Do I always do so? No. I did not save Matt's Wild Cherry tomatoes, despite what my records.told me, and had to order them again.

I keep telling myself that I will toss my older seed out somewhere just to see what will happen, but it just never happens. I have some that are over 10 years.

Anyone else feel 'rich' when you sift through through your seed? They are soooo hard to discard. Souch potential life!

This was written by Lawrence Hills, founder of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (now Garden Organic) in the style of “Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandry” by Thomas Tusser (1524-1580).


You have in your drawer since Candlemas Day,
All the seed packets you daren't throw away,
Seed Catalogue cometh as year it doth end,
But look in ye drawer before money you spend.

Throw out ye Parsnip, 'tis no good next year,
And Scorzonera if there's any there,
For these have a life that is gone with ye wynde
Unlike all ye seeds of ye cabbagy kinde.

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sprouts, Cabbage and Kale,
Live long like a farmer who knoweth good ale:
Three years for certain, maybe five or four,
To sow in their seasons they stay in ye drawer.

Kohl-Rabi lasts with them and so does Pei-Tsai,
The winter 'cos-lettuce' to sow in July,
But short is the life of ye Turnips and Swedes
Sow next year only, enough for your needs.

Mustard and Cress for when salads come round,
Sows for three seasons so buy half a pound,
Radish last four years, both round ones and long,
Sown thinly and often they're never too strong.

Last year's left Lettuce sows three summers more,
And Beetroot and Spinach-beet easily four,
But ordinary Spinach, both prickly and round,
Hath one summer left before gaps waste ye ground.

Leeks sow three Aprils and one hath gone past,
And this is as long as ye Carrot will last,
Onion seed keeps till four years have flown by,
But sets are so easy and dodge onion-fly.

Store Marrows and Cucumbers, best when they're old,
Full seven summers' sowings a packet can hold.
Six hath ye Celery that needs a frost to taste,
So hath Celeriac before it goes to waste.

Broad Beans, French ones, Runners, sown in May,
Each hath a sowing left before you throw away,
And short Peas, tall Peas, fast ones and slow,
Parsley and Salsify have one more spring to sow.

Then fillen ye form that your seedsmen doth send,
For novelties plentie, there's money to spend,
Good seed and good horses are worth the expense,
So pay them your poundies as I paid my pence.
​
LAWRENCE D. HILLS,
1963
​From his book “Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables”, 1973

Seeds are an It Depends. Some die when they dry out (I've heard this is the case with apples, and it's my experience with citrus), others have never heard of calendars and once dry, keep indefinitely.

Tomato seeds keep 10-20 years, and I have read 50 years for true potato seed.

Peas so old they've turned yellow still mostly come up. I've had 15 year old corn come up.

The problem with onion seeds isn't that they die. Rather, after a couple years the seed coat gets so hard that the embryo cannot break out of it. If you carefully peel back the iron-hard seed coat (or perhaps scarify it, I haven't tried that) here comes the baby onion.

I don't do anything special for storage. They're jars in the garage, mostly to keep the bugs from getting in and chewing on them. Some were in a hot warehouse for three years and proved none the worse for wear (those became my first garden here).

I keep mine with desiccant packets in plastic ammo boxes. The seeds seem to last several years, but I haven't tried anything older than 4. The ammo boxes are very convenient and airtight and relatively cheap ($14 for a small one). I cannot sing them enough praises. Some seeds need to be more fresh (carrots) for good germination, but I don't save these these. I do save just about all others minus corn.

You can also make sure they are super dry and freeze them in jars. You cannot let them get wet. I haven't tried this method. I believe I've read this in Carol Deppe's books - don't quote me.