Kitchen Garden Forum

Some gardening books (Dr Hessyan's springs to mind) list the viability of seeds which you could use as guidance, Catherine. I have certainly used last year's seeds for a second year and they have been fine, for instance tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and some brassicas.

We use seeds that are still in their use by date but I thought Catherines's had gone past the useable date which maybe is set in a similar way to the book's viability dates.

There was a list of how long seeds can be stored in the Oct. issue of Gardeners world.
short-life 1-2 years
beetroot, leeks, onions, parsley, spinach, sweetcorn, sweet & chilli peppers.

medium- life 3-4 years
carrots, broad & runner beans, marrows peas, pumkind,squashes.

long-life 5+ years.
sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and turnips.

I'm not sure if they meant seeds you saved yourself or bought packets of seeds.
Bren

That's interesting Bren, I've found that carrots are best used fresh at most within 2 years, and beetroot and sweet and chilli peppers seem to last for ages. Also parsnip seed is best used as fresh as possible.

The "sow by" date on UK seeds I often think is a device to encourage waste and rebuying. If stored sensibly, most seeds will outlast this date (with the well-known exceptions).

I go on the following:



Beans 3 to 5 yrs +

Beetroot, chard & leaf beet 2 to 3 yrs

Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussels, turnips etc) 3 to 7 yrs

Carrots up to 3 yrs

Courgettes & squashes 2 to 4 yrs

Cucumbers & melons up to 10 yrs

Lettuces 2 to 5 yrs

Onions/leeks/spring onions up to 3 yrs max

Parsley up to 3 yrs

Parsnips

2 yrs max

Peas 3 to 5 yrs +

Peppers & aubergines up to 5 yrs

Tomatoes up to 8 yrs

Well, everybody, I must put in my bit for sowing old parsnip seed. I keep mine in the fridge in a glass bottle with a silica gel packet to catch moisture. I regularly get 3 years' worth of parsnips from this and I can't be sure that the first year's sowings are always the best.

I have been doing this since reading a letter in the Organic Way from a reader who was still getting a good crop from 5-year-old seed. I have had the same results from Salsify and Scorzonera, though the germination rate of the latter has not been great.

But when seeds come fairly cheap, I wonder whether all the palaver is worth the bother.

That's a good tip Mike for the parsnip.

Your point about seed being cheap anyway so why worry is a good one.

I think people don't like to waste anything, so try to use things up, and then it is your time you are wasting if they don't grow.

I've saved so many beans over the past couple of years that I've put the majority of them in jars in the kitchen to use in stews and just saved the best few from last year to plant again. (Taking note that you must soak the runner beans for 12 hours, throw away the soaking water and boil again rapidly for 10 minutes before eating to remove the toxin)