How long do garden seeds last? How do you tell if your old seeds are still good? Let’s find out!
Wintertime is the season when these questions matter. The gorgeous seed catalogs arrive in the mail, tempting you with beautiful photographs.
But before you go crazy, it’s time to inventory your leftover seeds to avoid duplication and determine viability.
How Long Do Vegetable Seeds Last?
Seeds are living things, and their viability is greatly affected by how they are stored. Most experts agree that dark, cool, and dry conditions are best for seeds. We keep some of our seeds in the refrigerator, but most are in open boxes in the dining room—probably not the best location!
Some seeds also have a longer life expectancy than others. Most last for a couple of years if stored in a dry, cool place. Consult the table below to see how long some of the most common garden seeds last.
| Replace after… | Type of Seed |
|---|---|
| 1 Year | Lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, salsify |
| 2 Years | Corn, leeks, okra, peppers |
| 3 Years | Asparagus, beans, broccoli, carrots, celery, kohlrabi, peas, spinach |
| 4 Years | Beets, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, Swiss chard, eggplants, kale, pumpkins, radishes, rutabagas, squashes, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons |
| 5 Years | Cucumbers, endive, cantaloupes |
| Seed viability data gathered via Colorado State University Extension. | |
How to Tell If Your Seeds Are Still Good
If I have a question about the viability of some seeds—such as those beans that someone gave me back in 2020—I will test a few.
This is as easy as placing ten seeds on a damp paper towel, folding it up, and placing it in a plastic bag. Put the bag in a warm spot and check after a week or so to see if any of the seeds have sprouted.
- If 2 out of 10 germinate, that means a germination rate of about 20%—not too good, so I would either plant more of them than usual or buy fresh seeds altogether.
- If 8 out of 10 germinate, that means 80%—not bad at all, and I can likely get away with using them for another season.
Once you have determined what you need, you can shop with a clear plan in mind and be less likely to overbuy.
Have fun looking through this year’s seed catalogs and dreaming of your best garden ever. Summer is just a page away in a seed catalog!
Speaking of which, check out our list of free garden catalogs and sites.
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Comments
Hi Mel,
If the seeds you saved are from hybrids they rarely will produce a plant that is like the parent. You could get something wonderful but usually it is a mutant throwback to a distant relative. To have any success with saving seeds look for plants that are heirlooms or open-pollenated. They will produce a plant that is the same as the parent. That said you do have to be careful of plants within the same species cross-pollenating - squash with gourds or one variety of tomato with another - those crosses sometimes result in a surprise! Your old seeds should not grow a deformed plant unless they have been damaged.
You must be psychic! I was planning on writing about wintering over rosemary next week! Here is my advice in a nutshell. Rosemary likes it cool and bright. If your garage does not fall below freezing and has a south window that gets lots of sun, you could leave it out there. Just be sure to water it when the soil feels dry. Don't let it stand in water or the roots will rot. If your plant has more than one stem, it could be divided. During the winter rosemary is fairly dormant so don't expect a lot of new growth. If the new growth is lanky it indicates that the plant is not getting enough light. If you need to winter it over in the house, place it in the coolest room near the brightest window. An unheated sunroom often works well as long as it doesn't get below freezing at night. I occasionally wrestle my plant into the tub and turn on the shower to give it a good taste of rain. Misting will also help to hydrate the plant and discourage pests from setting up camp.
Once the canna lily finishes flowering, it will produce a few seedpods that look similar to those of a chestnut tree or a burdock. Once these seedpods turn brown and dry, they are mature, and can be split open to reveal the true seed of the canna lily. The true seeds are fairly large (about the size of a pea) and are pure black in color.