Seeds
How Long Will Seeds Last?
Many seeds will maintain great germination for years even in your kitchen cupboard, though there are exceptions. Stored well, some seeds can last centuries. The oldest seed that has grown into a viable plant was narrow-leafed campion, an Arctic flower native to Siberia. Radiocarbon dating has confirmed an age of 31,800 plus or minus a few years.
Seeds that remain viable for up to 5 years:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Celery & Celeriac
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Melon
- Most perennial flowers
- Peppers
- Pumpkins
- Radish
- Rutabaga
- Spinach
- Squash & gourds
- Swiss chard
- Tomato
- Turnip
- Watermelon
Seeds that remain viable for up to 4 years:
- Artichoke & cardoon
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Carrots
- Mustard
- Peas
Seeds that remain viable for up to 3 years:
- Asian greens
- Corn, sweet
- Most annual flowers
Seeds that remain viable for 1-2 years:
- Leeks
- Okra
- Onions
- Parsnip
- Rhubarb
The enemies of seeds are: heat, light, humidity, rodents and maybe oxygen, that last one is controversial. You can extend the viability of seeds beyond the times listed above somewhat by creating ideal storage conditions.
Here are some tips for storing your seeds:
1. Keep seeds cool to cold—40 degrees or less. Seeds can be frozen if they are fully dry. Only freeze seeds that are completely dry. Tuck a desiccant packet in a closed plastic bag with the seeds for three days, letting the desiccant wick away any excess moisture. After the third day, you can be confident they’re fully dry and into the freezer they go.
2. Avoid fluctuations in temperature- hot in the summer and freezing in the winter.
3. Avoid light.
4. Use moisture-proof containers.
5. Use critter-proof contains
6. Storing your seeds with a desiccant (silica gel) or oxygen absorber may prolong their life.
7. Rotate seeds every few years.
8. When you are ready to use your seeds, keep them in their closed storage container until the seeds come to room temperature. This will prevent unwanted condensation from settling on the seed packets.
9. To store your own saved seeds, spread them out, and allow them to air dry. Once you are done drying seeds, put them in envelopes or even repurposed medicine bottles, and label them. You can then store them in your refrigerator, freezer or root cellar just like store-bought seeds.
Are my seeds viable?
A viability test can answer the question. Here are two tests:
Water test: Take your seeds and put them in a container of water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. Then if the seeds sink, they are still viable; if they float, they most likely will not sprout.
Germination test:
Moisten a paper towel and place 10 seeds on the damp towel . Roll the paper towel around the seeds and place it in a sealed plastic bag and let it sit in a warm place (about 70 degrees) for 7-10 days. Count how many seeds have sprouted then multiply by 10 to get a germination rate.
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