Any value for OLD seeds?

boffer 1/31/2014, 8:21 pm

I was given 9 unopened seed packages. One carrot package was 'packed for 1986'. The rest were packaged for 1993.

Three packages were from distributors I haven't heard of: Excel Seed Co. (IL), Bentley Seed Co. (NY), and NK Lawn and Garden Co. (MN). Several of the packages were 55¢.

Seeds include corn, sugar peas, daikon radish, lettuce, cauliflower, and carrots.

Are they good for anything other than trying to sprout them for the fun of it?

Baysidebob 1/31/2014, 8:44 pm

I love old seeds! I sprout them, or not, on a few layers of toilet paper in those semi-disposable food containers from the grocery store covered with a single layer of paper towel on a window-sill seed heater. The toilet paper falls apart when wet so it's easy to get the sprout out with tweezers. The paper towel cover holds together but is easy to pull up to inspect the seeds' progress. Those that do sprout I plant in Jiffy 7 pellets as soon as I see a root and know they are viable. I use the jiffy 7 pellets without the netting. Old seeds and gathered seeds allow one to propagate plants specific to one's own garden. The germination rate may be far below commercial expectations but the only loss is a bit of toilet paper.

Marc Iverson 2/1/2014, 2:34 am

If you try germinating them, let us know your success rate! It would be pretty cool if you still got results from seeds that old.

**llama momma** 2/1/2014, 7:28 am

I'm starting to read up on this topic. There's a whole lot to learn about seed viability and vigor. Viability aka germination is usually the last thing to fail. It's easy to test seeds at home.

Seed vigor or the ability to carry out plant functions can deteriorate long before germination(viability) fails and it's difficult to test.

Lots more from Ohio State:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CGAQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseedbiology.osu.edu%2FHCS631_files%2F14B%2520Vigor%2520and%2520Seed%2520Performance%2520(631)1.pdf&ei=XOXsUqTzJqfXyAGX5oFw&usg=AFQjCNF4rF6M65CnEFbpEOcrkvU7Ce0m8A&sig2=RdEKrtwdjBDGpdA_Y6sqWA&bvm=bv.60444564,d.b2I

**kauairosina** 2/19/2014, 1:55 pm

What do you all do when you have bought too many seeds? I have such an accumulation, some from visits to Italy and Spain 2 and five years ago. I could never plant all these. I hate to throw them out.

**camprn** 2/19/2014, 2:08 pm

kauairosina wrote:What do you all do when you have bought too many seeds? I have such an accumulation, some from visits to Italy and Spain 2 and five years ago. I could never plant all these. I hate to throw them out.

Oooooooook , go on over to the traders thread and offer them up. Maybe get something good in return. Wink

**kauairosina** 2/19/2014, 5:43 pm

I will see how I can make sense out of what I have and offer them. I don't need anything in return. It would just do me heart good to give them away and not just toss them.

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Any value for OLD seeds?

Any value for OLD seeds?

Re: Any value for OLD seeds?

Re: Any value for OLD seeds?

Re: Any value for OLD seeds?

seeds from 2010

Re: Any value for OLD seeds?

I had no idea there was a trading post

Re: Any value for OLD seeds?


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