Hurrah!! - I've found some seeds in the greenhouse I've acquired on my new lottie! :) Only problem is I have to sow them by August - not this year or even last year, but by 1996 ! :( Anyway I thought what the heck, hang the expense and sowed them in a couple of trays. The ones I've sowed are cabbage 'Primo' & Swede 'Best of all' They were both foil packed and the packets were unopened so you never know.
Anyway it would be quite interesting to hear of other people's successes or failures with out of date seeds.
By the way one of the greenhouses I've inherited is over 50 years old and still in great knick, all it needs is a lick of paint and a bit of putty for some of the windows. It stood up to the recent storms better than my other 2 year old one, of which I lost a few panes of glass.
Roll on Springtime!!
Wayne
good luck and what an interesting find........
some seeds obviously last longer than others. i've had no problems with leeks and cucumber that are 'past their date', but i didn't have any success with the sweetcorn that was a year over. spinach, lettuce and carrots have also been fine-i was a bit suprised at the carrots, thought they might not have lasted.
i guess if they're still sealed in foil that helps delay the ageing a bit. most of my seed packets are all open, so i think i've done ok out of them, considering.
So thats what I need to do, wrap meself in foil! ;D ;D ;D
I often sow out of date seeds, with mixed results...........worth a go though if they are free! DP
I'm the same as DP, if the seeds are old or in open packets, I sow twice as thick. I had a fantastic crop of parsnips last/this year and they were old seed and parsnip seed has the reputation for going stale quickly.
My first experience with old seeds was also with Primo cabbage. By saving excess seed from a seed packet bought one year year two gave me O.K. germination, year three almost none came up. I later found out that brassica seeds are notorious for being short lived.
Hi All,
I keep a variety of left over veg. seeds year on year. I place them in their packets with a small amount of silica gel in a pastic sealed container in the freezer.
Not all seeds store (parsnip/beetroot/carrot), but brassicas do interestingly.
Tomato seeds keep a very long time
Phil
Cabbages starting to appear, but look at my Swedes!! I Think most of the seeds have germinated that I sowed on Jan 14th
(http://img45.exs.cx/img45/8100/feb0501716bx.jpg)
worth the gamble sowing them!
Botchituk,
Must be a toon army supporter eh!!
Debs ( further down the coast)