Another question - about VERY old seeds

Hopefully someone can answer this please for us.As I mentioned in my other post our son has done a vegetable garden and the cukes,tomatoes,salads,zuchini etc. keep on coming :-)

We were talking about different veggies etc. this afternoon and I remembered that my MIL left some packages of Sugar Bon snap peas which I love.I remembered doing always 2 crops since peas like it cool,early spring and late summer for our planting time.
Now I found quite of a few of her veggie packages i.e.peas,beans etc. BUT the year was 1997 .How old can seeds be if they have been kept in a old freezer for all these years ? I know the success rate with old seeds is ALOT less but do we even have a chance of trying them ?
Thank you,
Brigitte and Robb
( mom and son )

If the seeds were stored in the freezer in a moisture-proof container there is a good chance these are still very viable. I would try germinating a sample in the spring to see how they do. Test them while there's still time to order others in case the stored seeds are a bust.

Here's a link to a page about viable pumpkin seeds stored in a shed in 1957 and planted in 2002. Not all germinated but enough to get a nice patch. As the article says, there were viable wheat seeds found in tombs of the Pharaohs.

http://www.pumpkinnook.com/commune/pie1957.htm

Wayne

They may very well be viable even without having been in the freezer.

I never freeze or refrigerate my leftover seeds. I just keep the leftover packets - opened or unopened - in airtight glass or plastic containers in a cardboard box on a closet shelf in a spare room in the house (NOT the garage or basement).

This year, nearly everything in my garden - greens, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs, flowers, broccoli - you name it - came from seed packets dating back to 1995/96/97. Everything sprouted. In fact, I had between 85 & 100% germination, which you sometimes don't even get with NEW seed - lol!!!

I say go for it. There's no guarantee, but what the heck.

Thank you Wayne,
The seeds were in the original packets stored in a ziplockbag in the freezer.
Want to read the article on the pumkin seeds .UNBELIEVABLE :-) but obviously true .Have to read it later on tonight,it depends.Our DIL is pregnant and due today and one never knows how fast something can happen.Thank you again for the link.

Breezymeadow,You are giving me courage just like Wayne to go ahead and try them.It says the Sugar Bon peas only take 56 days for a crop and they like cold weather.I'll plant some tomorrow...well depending if baby decides to arrive :-)
You are so lucky that all of your seeds gave you so much harvest.CONGRATULATIONS !! :-)

Now ,I opened up one of the pea packets and soaked the seeds in warm water and will leave them soaking until tomorrw.What is both of your opinion on that ?

and then I posted a question on celeriac root.Have either one of you grown that before ?

Thanks a bunch,you are great people to share your knowledge.We both really appreciate it,
Brigitte

Brigitte,

Not sure how long it will takes for the peas to sprout in a bowl of water, but wrapped in wet paper towels it may take a week, so give them a bit of time.

Never grew celeriac root, I'm afraid. Good luck with it.

Wayne

adkgardener, I've grown celeriac root a few times. My first attempt was rather pathetic golf ball sized roots, but this year they look much better. They like plenty of water and good rich soil to keep them growing. It is a good idea to feed them a few times during their growing season as well. Good luck.

Pat

Pat,
I appreciate your input since I LOVE celeriac root in different dishes.It is so comman in Europe where I grew up but somewhat hard to find in this area.
Thank You for the encouragement,I will try them next year,
Brigitte

Hi Brigitte,

I'm not sure where your zones are, how do you compare to European weather in zone 4b?

It makes me realise what a short growing season we have here in England compared to some parts of the U.S. But everything is cropping really well just now. I've picked lots of beans, tomatoes and courgettes today. I grow heritage varieties of quite a lot of vegetables and save my own seed. We have an organisation here called the Henry Doubleday Research Organisation which is organic, and they have a Heritage Seed Library to save any old or endangered varieties of vegetables and fruit. So there are lots of interesting varieties to choose from.

I've only saved easy things so far like beans, peas, tomatoes and leeks. They do keep viable for quite a long time if they are kept cold and dry and out of sunlight as has already been said. I always think it is worth a try even if they are very old, you never know.

I am trying to save some beetroot seeds this year but am not sure if they are ready yet, and some onions with the lovely name of Long Red Florence. They have a sweet rich flavour and caramelise when cooked, but the onions don't keep very well.

Pat