Good day to you all. Pictured here are some new little friends who have decided to poke their heads through the soil. Normally I might not make much of a big deal about seeds germinating, but this time I had been using some seed that was three years old. This brings up an interesting question: How long does seed last? As always, there is no real hard and fast rule. Most seed will be good for at least 3 years, but it is not uncommon to find seed 10 years old that will still germinate. The viability of seed is affected by many factors including the quality of the seed to begin with, the type, how it was cured, storage, pollination, temperature, and moisture. Most seeds benefit from being stored in cool, dry, and dark conditions. However, even in ideal conditions, all seeds will eventually lose their ability to germinate and die. If you have older seed, it is a good idea to test germinate some seed before committing time and energy by seeding into flats or pots. Another option that I use both in the field and the greenhouse is to throw extra seed into each cell or hole in the ground. Later on I can always thin out if too many seeds germinate. Thankfully for me, so far most of my seeds have done pretty well.
