Seed Viability?

[Helen]

Hi
I only have two smallish veggy beds so needless to say an ordinary pkt of seeds will last several seasons usually past there "Sow By" date is there a better way of checking the seed is still viable at the beginning of the season than sowing them & hopeing for the best?

[Allan]

You could germinate a sample on tissue/kitchen towelling but I doubt if it is generally worth the trouble. On the whole viability goes with size. Much seed will last 3 years in a reasonable store space, for instance use up brassicas within 3 years of opening a foil packet. The big seeds, e.g. runner beans, peas, broad beans sunflowers sweetcorn should do much better. I wouldn't try to keep parsnips or onions more than one season, however if you keep a foil packet in hand unopened and there is time to sow again it might be worth trying the old seed first. I find lettuce seed will do more than one year so if you are economical and sow no more than 3 or 4 seeds in a pot or module you may well carry some seeds over.
I wouldn't trust any seeds in plain paper packets but one never knows.
Allan

[valmarg]

Some seeds you can keep forever, and they will germinate, eg tomatoes. Apparently, although I have never tried it, you could take the seeds out of tinned tomatoes and they would germinate.

With personal experience, sweetcorn do not store. You need to buy fresh seed each year. Also cutting lettuce do not seem to store well.

We have had mixed results with broad/climbing french and runner beans. Sometimes I think we are too eager and trying to get them growing too early. The penalty of impatience!

Courgettes do not seem to mind being kept for another season, but they are not sold in large quantities, so you may not have courgette seed left over.

[valmarg]

Further to my previous posting, I think Sue Strickland did an article on this topic sometime last year, so if you have got last year's magazines, you should be able to find the article.

valmarg