Updated for 2009

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Seed-Storage Times and Viability

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Virtually all home-garden-supply seed houses supply seed in far too great a
quantity for the average home gardener (even those that famously sell small
packets at lower prices). The home gardener will thus often want to save seeds
bought one year for use in a later year. The question that must arise, then, is
how long can we keep seeds and still expect them to germinate and grow when
planted?

There are no exact answers: seeds are living things. Moreover, much depends
on how the seed is stored. And there is no drop-dead cutoff point either, just
reduced percentages of germination, and what is "too low" a germination rate may
vary from gardener to gardener (and even fresh, newly bought seeds will not
invariably germinate 100%).

Before going on to numbers, let us give you a few links that explain storage
principles:

Giving Seeds What They Need In Storage -
good, commonsense information for the home gardener

Seed Storage Tips - the basics for home
gardeners

In short, best storage conditions are those that are the exact opposite of
what makes a seed want to sprout. Seeds "know" to sprout when temperatures go
up, and fluctuate greatly, when exposed to light, and when warm; so we want to
keep storage seed in the dark, very dry, at a low, even temperature.

Those conditions are pretty easily achieved--surplus "ammo cases" are widely
sold at low price, they make a watertight (and probably airtight) seal, and are
of a size convenient for storing a lot of seed packets. Stash your seed packets
in the case, drop in a packet or two of a dissicant (moisture-absorbing agent,
like silica gel)--a thing also widely sold inexpensively--and put the box where
it will stay at a cool (circa 50° F.) and steady temperature (you can,
at an extreme, always bury it a foot or two down in the ground).

(Those are approximate, not exact, instructions--read
the web pages linked above for more detail.)

But that doesn't answer the question. What does is the Tables below. The
first is by rough longevity, the
second sheerly alphabetical by vegetable. The data are our
combining of information from several sources: those sources do not always agree
perfectly, but we have taken the most conservative (fewest years) figues for
these tables. But, again: these are rough estimates for
well-stored seed.

Relative Longevity of
Well-Stored Vegetable Seed
(by years)

kind of seed

relative longevity (years)

Collards

5

Corn salad (mache)

5

Cress

5

Cucumber

5

Endive

5

Lettuce

5

Muskmelon ("Cantelope")

5

Beets

4

Brussels Sprouts

4

Cabbage

4

Cauliflower

4

Chard, Swiss

4

Chicory

4

Eggplant

4

Kale

4

Pumpkin

4

Radish

4

Rutabaga

4

Sorrel

4

Squash

4

Tomato

4

Turnip

4

Watermelon

4

Asparagus

3

Beans

3

Broccoli

3

Cabbage, Chinese

3

Carrot

3

Celeriac

3

Celery

3

Kohlrabi

3

New Zealand Spinach

3

Pea

3

Corn, sweet

2

Leek

2

Okra

2

Pepper

2

Onion

1

Parsley

1

Parsnip

1

Salsify

1

Scorzonera

1

Spinach

1

Relative Longevity of
Well-Stored Vegetable Seed
(alphabetical by
vegetable)

kind of seed

relative longevity (years)

Asparagus

3

Beans

3

Beets

4

Broccoli

3

Brussels sprouts

4

Cabbage

4

Cabbage, Chinese

3

Carrot

3

Cauliflower

4

Celeriac

3

Celery

3

Chard, Swiss

4

Chicory

4

Corn, sweet

1

Collards

5

Corn Salad (mache)

5

Cress

5

Cucumber

5

Eggplant

4

Endive

5

Kale

4

Kohlrabi

3

Leek

2

Lettuce

5

Muskmelon ("Cantelope")

5

New Zealand Spinach

3

Okra

2

Onion

1

Parsley

1

Parsnip

1

Pea

3

Pepper

2

Pumpkin

4

Radish

4

Rutabaga

4

Salsify

1

Scorzonera

1

Sorrel

4

Spinach

1

Squash

4

Tomato

4

Turnip

4

Watermelon

4

(Or see the list sorted by
years.)

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