Planetagarden
The simple answer is planting old seeds is possible and okay. ... The flowers or fruit that come from out-of-date seeds will be of the same quality as if they were grown from fresh seeds. Using seeds from old vegetable seed packets will produce vegetables that are just as nutritious as those from current season seeds.
- What happens if you plant expired seeds?
- Will 10 year old seeds germinate?
- Is it worth planting out-of-date seeds?
- How long can you keep seeds before they go bad?
- Can you use seeds that are a year old?
- How do you know if vegetable seeds are still good?
- Why do old seeds not germinate?
- Is it better to soak seeds before planting?
- How long do vegetable seeds take to germinate?
- What can I do with old vegetable seeds?
What happens if you plant expired seeds?
Plants grown from expired seed packets will grow to produce healthy and fruitful harvests, just as their younger counterparts. ... Some seeds will maintain high germination rates for up to five years but others, such lettuce, will lose vigor as soon as one year in storage.
Will 10 year old seeds germinate?
The answer is, yes, seeds will eventually go bad and no longer germinate, but it can take quite a long time. There is a good chance that those old seed packets will have a high percentage of seeds that will germinate just fine. ... And even a group of very old seeds may have 10 or 20 percent that still sprouts.
Is it worth planting out-of-date seeds?
I'm not necessarily recommending out-of-date seeds as being better than, or even as good as, fresh seed. Old seed often has sporadic or very slow germination, and sometimes the plants which do grow are a bit weak and wobbly. But there are many good reasons to keep hold of those old packets.
How long can you keep seeds before they go bad?
Depending on the type of seed and its quality, you may be able to store them and use them next year or the year after. In fact, some seeds, if properly stored, can be viable even after ten years. Some varieties of tomato seeds have even been known to germinate after as long as 16 years!
Can you use seeds that are a year old?
Age – All seeds stay viable for at least a year and most will be viable for two years. After the first year, the germination rates for out-of-date seeds will start to fall. Type – The type of seed can affect how long a seed stays viable. ... Seeds will stay viable much longer if stored in a cool, dark place.
How do you know if vegetable seeds are still good?
There are two easy tests you can take to check to see if there is life left in your old seeds. Water test: Take your seeds and put them in a container of water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. Then if the seeds sink, they are still viable; if they float, they most likely will not sprout.
Why do old seeds not germinate?
Seeds are comprised of an outer hard layer and an embryo which is inside the hard shell. The reason that older seeds don't germinatem well is that the shell has become to hard and water is unable to penetrate, this process of imbibition is the start of the germination process.
Is it better to soak seeds before planting?
It is recommended that you only soak most seeds for 12 to 24 hours and no more than 48 hours. ... After soaking your seeds, they can be planted as directed. The benefit of soaking seeds before planting is that your germination time will be reduced, which means you can have happy, growing plants faster.
How long do vegetable seeds take to germinate?
Getting right to the answer and then thinking about the variables that can change it, most vegetable seeds take an average of one to two weeks to germinate from the time you plant them in soil until when you see the green leaf appear.
What can I do with old vegetable seeds?
If you find that you have a stock of seeds that are still good, but you'd prefer to plant different vegetable varieties this year, there are ways to clean out old seed to make way for the new. Trading seeds at seed swaps or donating them to a school garden are just two ideas for recycling old vegetable seeds.
