Are your old seeds still viable to plant?

Are you a home gardener who purchased more seeds than you can use this growing season? Do you have leftover seeds from a previous season laying around your home? Are you wondering whether they are still viable to use this year or next? In today’s blog, we give you useful tips and answers to the age-old question of whether you can plant old seeds. We will give you all the tips we have to know if your old seeds will still have germinate this year. So, grab your old seed packets from last season and let’s learn together. By the end of this article, you will know if your old seeds are worth planting or not!

Are old seeds still viable?

The short answer is yes. But knowing whether they will germinate is another question. As a good rule of thumb, on average, most seed packets that you buy this year should be viable for another planting season. Some can even last a couple years past the date you purchased them. But as seeds age the germination rate tends to fall back from what it would have been at the time you bought them.

Will old seeds still germinate or sprout?

You might be wondering can old seeds still grow? Or you’d like to know how to tell if seeds will germinate? Answering these questions depends on the type of seeds that you are looking to plant. Seeds for:

• onions
• corn
• peppers

are quite difficult to germinate past two years of purchase. Out of these three, onions are the most difficult. If you plan on planting onions by seed, try to use the seeds in the same planting year that you purchased them. You will avoid the disappointment of wasting your time and your seeds. Are you curious to know if 20 year old seeds will grow? It’s possible under the right conditions. For many vegetable seeds around the five year mark the viability decreases. 

Some more forgiving seed varieties when it comes to their viability for germination include:

• beans
• peas
• tomatoes

Past the one year mark as they can last upwards of four or five years and still be successfully germinated. Seeds for cucumbers and lettuce last perhaps the longest with viability still seen at the six year mark.

Do seeds have an expiration date?

Seeds do not have an expiry date, but what is often marked on the packet is a ‘sell by’ date. These dates are a guideline to help you determine whether or not the seeds are getting older. You do not necessarily have to throw your seeds out if they are past the ‘sell by’ date. Some seeds will still be viable past the ‘sell by’ date. Take lettuce for example. Lettuce seeds tend to still be viable a few years after the date has passed. Onions, on the other hand, have a very short shelf life and will not be as stable. In general, most seeds will still be viable for 2-3 years.

What is the shelf life of pelleted seeds?

Pelleted seeds do offer many advantages for growers. However, the process of pelleting decreases the shelf life of seeds. In general, pelleted seeds should be used within one year of purchase. If you can’t use them right away, store them in a cool, dark, and dry place.

How to test old seeds for germination?

All seed packets typically have the year listed they were sold for as well as a germination rate. As the seeds age, the germination rate will decrease. If you have old seeds laying around, you might want to know if they are still viable. One way to know is to test them for germination.

To test your seeds, take a paper towel and gently spray it with water to moisten it. Place about 10 seeds onto the paper towel and then fold it over the seeds. Place the paper towel with the seeds into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and label it with the date and seed variety. Once sealed, place the bag in a warm spot like the top of the fridge. After a few days, come back and check the germination. Some seeds may sprout in a few days, others could take a few weeks.

If you don’t see any sprouts from your seeds after waiting, they may no longer be viable. If only a few out of the ten sprouted, you will have to sow your seeds more densely. If they sprouted really well, you may not have to start as many seeds because the germination rate is still high. By planting only 10 seeds, it is easy to measure the germination rate. For example, if 8 of the 10 sprout, then your germination rate is 80%. This means that your seeds are still quite viable.

Seed storage conditions and seed viability over time

You might be wondering how long do seeds last in packets? To answer this question you have to consider how you are storing the seeds. For older seeds to maintain their viability for germination means that proper storage is important. If you have leftover seed packets from a previous season, try to store them in a cool, dark, and dry place in your home. By providing your seeds with the proper storage conditions, it will help them to stay viable longer for use in another planting season.

Share seeds at a seed swap event

Are you wondering what you should do with old seeds? If you have too much seed for your own personal use, another strategy is to attend a seed swapping event. These events in your local area give you the chance to share your extra seeds with a friend or neighbour close by. These seed swapping events give you a chance to try out different varieties of crops. Also, they help build a community of like-minded gardeners who share a similar hobby to you. School gardens, community garden initiatives, library programs, and charity groups usually collect seeds. You could consider donating any leftover seed you may have to these programs. This way, no seed is going to waste. Why not spread the love of gardening among different groups of people!

Final thoughts on seed viability

Let’s face it we will always discover we have leftover seeds from a previous season. Now we hope you consider the tips we have provided here and try and see if your seeds will germinate. Our motto is anything with gardening is worth trying once. Even if it doesn’t work out, every experiment is always a chance to learn something new. Until next time gardening friends, we hope you give germinating your old seeds a try this season. Who knows, you might get lucky and still have some life left in your old seeds!