[sonic]

I've realised that I've got packets of seeds stashed around the house/greenhouse/garage/shed that are a year or maybe a couple of years out of date.  Should I just bin them or are they still viable?  Obviously I want to use them if they're gonna grow but I don't want to waste time/effort when I might as well spend a couple of quid on fresh seeds if it's a lost cause.  Any thoughts folks?

[arugula]

The seeds of many plants can grow quite succesfully well past their sell by date.There are exceptions, such as parsnip, which are quite needy of being fresh. So it depends a little on what the seeds are and how old they are. You might be lucky, you might not.... 

[mumofstig]

try a pinch of each on some damp kitchen paper to see which ones grow and which ones don't

[BabbyAnn]

Depends on the variety - parsnips I would probably bin, but brassicas I would try them.  I had some tomato seeds which were 3 years past their used by date (an opened packet) and I sowed the lot this spring thinking only one or two would germinate - they all germinated    All outdoor toms and have been a great year too (no blight)  Now where did I put that passata machine ...?

[Trillium]

This is from the site article on storing seeds. It applies to store seeds as well:

Approximate Viability for Home Saved Seed

If you can store your seeds well, consider the approximate life times for viability:

1 Year : onion, parsley, parsnip, salsify, some lettuce
2 Years : sweet corn, pepper, okra, leek
3 Years : asparagus, bean, broccoli, carrot, celery, kohlrabi, spinach, pea, lettuce
4 Years : beet, brussel sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, chicory, eggplant, fennel, kale, mustard, pumpkin, rutabaga (swede), squash, tomato, turnip, watermelon
5 Years : collards, cucumber, endive, muskmelon, radish

[JayG]

Storage conditions also make a big difference to viability (anywhere that gets very hot and/or damp will drastically reduce storage life.)

I've found that F1 supersweet sweetcorn seeds can be down to less than 50% germination after a year, despite keeping them in seed-friendly conditions.

[Kleftiwallah]

In the back of Alan Titchmarshes book on allotments, is a list of years a seed may be viable for and it's a lot longer than what the seedsmen would like us to believe.   :blink:   Cheers,    Tony.

[mumofstig]

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

but this year I've been using some lettuce seed (a huge Seeds Of Italy pkt) that is now 6 years old, so it is worth checking them for germination before you decide to bin them

[sonic]

Thanks for your advice so far folks.  The seeds have been stored unopened in cool dark locations.  None of them are parsnips.  For some reason I've never had success growing parsnips from fresh seeds...

[azubah]

All seeds have different levels of viability. You can even eat tomato seeds and they will still germinate.

[shokkyy]

I always keep opened packets of seed in a tupperware in the fridge.  I've got packets in there that are years past their date, and I never seem to have any problems with germination. So maybe it's the storage that matters most.

[Salmo]

Although seeds may germinate after several years they often loose their vigour. They may be slow to emerge and produce weak seedlings easily overcome by pest, disease or poor growing conditions.

[BabbyAnn]

it's a lot longer than what the seedsmen would like us to believe. 

to be fair to seed suppliers, most "guarantee" their seed will germinate but that's providing you use them within their use by date.  Secondly, there are seed legislations that have to be followed - most of it applies to bulk seed for farmers but also include us lowly veg gardeners too 

The seeds have been stored unopened in cool dark locations.

Better still    I had a packet of lavender seeds that were 10 years past their use by date but it had never been opened, and all germinated.  Having said, I had an unopened packet of White Lisbon salad onion which I found but when I came to sow them, the packet was empty ... as they were already "old", I could hardly complain to the seed company 

[JayG]

All seeds have different levels of viability. You can even eat tomato seeds and they will still germinate.

So pleased you spared us the sowing and planting details!   

[azubah]

All seeds have different levels of viability. You can even eat tomato seeds and they will still germinate.

So pleased you spared us the sowing and planting details!   

I had a visit to a sewage works in the lovely summer of 76. The sludge beds were covered with tomato plants full of ripe fruit. The men used to collect the tomatoes and sell them on the market. They were the best flavoured tomatoes I have ever had!