[RebeccaM]

Hi,  Could anyone tell me, you know on a pack on seeds it will give a date when the seeds in the pack should be sown by, well can you still use these seeds after this date.  I have some courgette and sweetcorn seeds that both say "sow by 2008",  will they still be ok you use this year.

Thanks

[paintedlady]

Of course you can still use them, even better if they are still sealed in the little vacuum sachet thing    If they are in the paper envelope, then they are "open" to the atmosphere, moisture & temperature fluctuations more so they will "age" and the viability over time will drop off.  The "use by" date is the seed supplier's "guarantee" that the seeds will still be at their best then.  Parsnip seeds have notoriously poor viability after storage, but things like brassicas seem to last forever.  Do go ahead and sow your courgette & sweetcorn, at least you'll have time to buy some fresh if they do not germinate.

[Sideways]

My philosophy is this- stick the seeds in a seed tray, what grows, use.

What do you have to loose?   

[LivvyW]

Absolutly...what grows ..use.

You do lose a bit of time, although you do have time with sweetcorn and courgettes.

If i were you,  i'd take some of each and put them in damp kitchen paper in a sealed container and leave them somewhere warm.  Then i'd pot up the rest as normal.

If the ones in damp paper germinate, you know you have a good chance  the ones you potted up will too.  And you'll know sooner than waiting for the potted up ones.

If only a few on the paper germinate, i'd pot up those too. 

I'd say they'll be fine.

I've sowed two batches of new chilli seed and neither have germinated. I grew great chillis last year, but not one of them had a bit of heat. So i purchased the new hotter variety. I've now lost two and half months and i'm quite about it.

[Paul Plots]

Last week-end I raked and put in a line, sowed (very carefully) and covered lightly my first row of carrots. Very pleased with myself I was.

Arrived home with the empty seed packet to make a note in my "starship log" (so I remember what went where and when) only to find some twit had not taken his specs to the plot...

I'd managed to see the seed (that's a wonder) but hadn't checked the plant-by-date. The packet looked like the new one I bought the week before - It wasn't.

Sow by 2002  What a twit.... 

Oh well - As my dad says: "They've two chances. They'll either grow or they wont."

I'll stick another row in so might end up with two - who knows.