[Tenhens]

As we patiently wait for nature to allow us to start growing I was reading The Expert Vegetable Notebook by Dr D G Hessayon (2009) and came across details of life expectancy of seeds.

1 year -  Parsnip , Onions (from seed ) 1/2 years

2 Years - Broad Bean , French Bean , Runner Bean , Pea , Sweet Corn.

3 Years - Beet,leaf  , Beetroot , Leek , Lettuce , Swede , Tomato , Turnip.

4 Years - Broccoli , Brussels Sprouts , Cabbage , Carrot , Cauliflower , Kale , Spinach.

5 Years - Capsicum , Celeriac , Celery , Chicory .

6 Years - Courgette , Cucumber , Marrow , Squash , pumpkin , Radish.

[rowlandwells]

this is an interesting topic because a friend of ours who is a professional grower and gardener said he would never buy seeds from his local nursery who sell there own seed because they where not in a sealed packets and he still packed his seed  in paper packets that seed tended to dry out quicker in paper than sealed packets

so in other words the seed in sealed packets had a much longer shelf life than the paper packets?

[mumofstig]

There is a section on seed storage/viability - plus lots more if you click on the [home] button on the top bar, which people seem to forget about 
Here's the quick link...
https://www.allotment-garden.org/gardening-information/seed-saving/seed-storage-longevity-lifespan/