Kitchen Garden Forum

I've just opened some Bulgarian giant leek seeds it says to use by 01-2020 that's seems a long time to me

It seems a long time to me as well, Robo........i wonder if anyone can beat the four year length of time?????

Well here's an acid test..
I've just found an opened packed of Swede seeds dated 2001 and as I wouldn,t mind a few swedes for my winter casseroles and soups I,'ve sown half a row. I vwry much doubt whether they will germinate but having seen this correspondence i've been tempted to try my luck.

Nice one Primrose, although not sure if the test will be acid or alkaline
Going to be interesting to see what happens. Next report on any signs of germination please.

not quite 2001, but I've got some squash seeds (red turban squash) dated 2009 (if my French is correct) that I'm going to try... according to the pack, I shouldn't plant till may... again, assuming my French is correct...

It seems I'm wasting my time trying to break any records with my 16 year old Swede seeds.
I just looked up "oldest Viable Seeds" on Wikipedia out of curiosity and this is what I found.
Amazing that seeds can be viable after so long.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_viable_seed

You might break records on here though.
Places like Kew were always going to be ahead of that game with their specialist seed stores.

Looking forward to seeing results from everyone.

I sowed some chive seeds at the weekend which I 'acquired' from the kitchen garden of a well know restaurant in Spain last year .... No best before date on those to take any notice of ...

Pawty wrote:'acquired'

... the same way a friend of mine 'acquired' his cherry tree, or the same way I acquired this years courgette plants (swapping plants with friends as it happens lol)

as long as its not how i acquired my xbox360... it was just dumped in my front garde, case broken, but fully functional, just not good to look at

Whilst rummaging through our writing bureau drawers the other afternoon I came across a open, part used, packet of Suttons Dwarf French Beans (Safari). Why they were in there I have no idea.

I have just sown 30 of them in the greenhouse. So what you exclaim.

Packet packed by June 2007
Use by/2008

We shall see

I think these are yellow beans arn't,t they Pa? i,ve grown a few in the last couple of years and found even fresh packets of seeds are quite hard to germinate so will be intrigued to see how yours fare.

no Primrose, definitely white seed with green bean on the stem.

Have not even turned yellow with age

Whoops. Am confusing them with Sonesta, i think, which is a yellow skinned bean.

Well harking back to an earlier poat on this this thread I have to report that none of the swede seeds I sowed from a packet dated 2001 have germinated, so Thank You Kitchen Garden foe the free Swede seeds delivered with my magazine today. Looks like I will hopefully get some swedes for my winter soups and casseroles after all.
I have never grown the Choy Sum which was also included. Presume you grow and cook as a stir fry? Havwn,t had time to read the magazine yet so presume instructions are included in there.

Choy sum - yes, delicious in a stir fry. I grew them last year but suffered from a weird flee beetle thing that absolutely loved them.

Swede - grew them once but have to say, it's one of the few veg that tastes the same from a local shop? Like the idea but there are other things I'd rather grow in the limited space. Happy to be told otherwise especially if there are varieties we can grow which are better than the shops?

The only thing a had zero germination on was a packet of sweetcorn which was only a year out of date, oh, and some chillis is,but I think that may have been down to conditions and not being hot enough.

Pawty