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Seeds from Last Year
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Posted by jodyg1 4 (My Page) on Sat, Jan 12, 08 at 8:39
| Hello All,
I've never posted here before, and the search engine is broken, so please forgive me if this topic has been covered already. I thought if anyone would be able to answer this question for me, it would be someone from this forum. I have a number of seeds left over from last year, especially beans, zucchini, and carrots. Can I save some money by using these seeds this spring, or should I order all new seeds? Are some older seeds more likely to germinate than others? I know that seeds are not extremely expensive, but it seems like a waste to toss them away when I had such good luck with them last year!
Thank you,
Jody |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Seeds from Last Year
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You can use them. Not all of them may germinate so you may have to plant a few more seeds than normal to get the number of plants you want.
My suggestion would be to plant whatever you have left and then maybe make a trade via Freecycle or Craigslist for whatever you don't want with someone else.
I know my local Freecycle has a gardening board and members swap extra seedlings for other seedlings to make their gardens more interesting or to get a chance to try something they normally wouldn't have spent the money on. |
RE: Seeds from Last Year
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| Here's a chart that will help you figure out what seeds are still viable and what seeds you may need to buy again. Carrots, beans and squash should all be good for a couple years. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Storage
RE: Seeds from Last Year
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| I've had carrot, zuccini (sp?), spinach and other seeds for YEARS (we're talking 3-5 years). I've never had a problem with them. I just plant them directly into the ground at the right time, and always get plenty of seedlings. Since I don't start them ahead of time in doors, I don't know the germination percentage, but it has always worked out for me. The same it true of my zinnia seeds. |
RE: Seeds from Last Year
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| The link booberry85 gives a good idea of seeds releative shelf life. Keep in mind the shelf life listed pertains to the "minimum germination" column. For example it lists lettuce as having a shelf life of 1 year in order to get 80% germination. I've planted lettuce seeds over 6 years old and still got a good crop (50% germination?). Just meant less thinning to do and I know I've germinated tomato seed even older than that. tj |
RE: Seeds from Last Year
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| Pish! I've been growing lettuce and beets from seeds I got in 1993. Slow to germinate, and far from 100%, but still OK. I save seeds from herbs (dill, basil, coriander, garlic chives) and they work well too. Just be sure to dry them thoroughly before storing (in paper, in a dry place). It's a scam that they tell you to get new seeds every year. If you've stored the original package correctly, you should be able to get at least a few years out of them. Florrie |
RE: Follow-Up Seeds from Last Year
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| OOPS! I forgot! If you save your own seeds, make sure you're using an open pollinated variety, not a hybrid. Hybrids will not come true from seed. F |
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