[flowerpower]

I have been busy mooching around the local g/centres in the hope of buying some cheap seeds to plant next year. It's worked, I'm glad to say. However, I have read somewhere here that parsnip seeds should be used "fresh", so I haven't bought any of those.

Anything else I should avoid until the 2010 batches are in the shops?

Many Thanks!

[DD.]

This may help:

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/general/seed-storage-life.php

[JayG]

Having saved money on seed which will be around 2 years old when you sow it make sure you preserve its quality by correct storage; cool, dry and dark.  A dry cupboard away from heat sources is fine. 

I would personally be wary of storing them in the 'fridge unless you can be 100% sure your container is air-tight; damp has a habit of finding its way into most "sealed" containers which will ruin your seeds (all seeds can go off!)

I am one of many who have said that sowing parsnip seed after year 1 is risky; that's because it's true (DD's link confirms).

[flowerpower]

Thank you for that. I hadn't appreciated quite how inportant it was to store seeds correctly. I normally bung them into an old shoe box and bury them at the back of the shed. I'll now bury the box in a tupperware too!

I think the only seeds I may have bought are b/beans, but I plan to get them going this winter anyway, so I guess the sell by date isn't too much of a problem.