Each year you’ll inevitably run out of garden space and have a certain amount of seeds left over after planting. Don’t throw them out just yet! Depending on the type of seed and its quality, you may be able to store them and use them next year or the year after. In fact, some seeds, if properly stored, can be viable even after ten years. Some varieties of tomato seeds have even been known to germinate after as long as 16 years!

Tips for Storing Seeds

Storing unused vegetable or flower seeds does require some care. To remain viable, seeds must not be exposed to any moisture or extreme temperature fluctuations. They should be kept in a cool dry place. Some people store them in sealed plastic bags, while others keep them in glass jars in the refrigerator. Whatever works best for you is fine, but the important thing is that they not be exposed to moisture. Wetness can quickly cause mold to grow, killing the seeds.

Testing Seeds

Let’s say you have some seeds that are a couple of years old. At this point, you really can’t be certain if they are going to germinate, even if they’ve been stored under optimum conditions in a dry, cool place.

In this situation, you can test the seeds a few weeks before planting time by taking several seeds, placing them on a moist paper towel, covering it with plastic and placing it in a warm spot. Check back in a week or so and if you have sprouts you’ll know the seeds are viable.

Seed Life Chart

To help you figure out if your seeds are still viable, refer to the following chart, which indicates the life expectancies of certain types of vegetable seeds stored under ideal conditions. The chart has been modified from D.N. Maynard and G.J. Hochmuth, Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers , 4th Edition (1997).

Vegetable – Years

Asparagus – 3

Bean – 3

Beet – 4

Broccoli – 3

Brussels Sprouts – 4

Cabbage – 4

Carrot – 3

Celeriac – 3

Cauliflower – 4

Celery – 3

Chard, Swiss – 4

Chicory – 4

Chinese Cabbage – 3

Collards – 5

Corn, Sweet – 2

Cucumber – 5

Eggplant – 4

Endive – 5

Fennel – 4

Kale – 4

Kohlrabi – 3

Leek – 2

Lettuce – 6

Muskmelon – 5

Mustard – 4

Okra – 2

Onion – 1

Parsley – 1

Parsnip – 1

Pea – 3

Pepper – 2

Pumpkin – 4

Radish – 5

Rutabaga – 4

Salsify – 1

Spinach – 3

Squash – 4

Tomato – 4

Turnip – 4

Watermelon – 4

Want to learn more about storing seeds and how long seeds will last?

Check out these helpful websites:

Storing Leftover Garden Seed from Ohio State University Extension Service

Go Through leftover Garden seeds from Oregon State University Extension Service