Only red ones @seedcorn. I think because oxhearts (generally) are quite dense, they can stand up to a bit of high heat and not turn to mush. I've never tried green tomatoes, and I'm not especially eager to...
I've seen this too @Zeedman. Once I walked into a garden supply store that had a double door set, the seeds were stored in that entrance area. This means every time the first door opened a blast of arctic air pushed through, and then gigantic ceiling heaters blew down. So the seeds location was running extreme cold then extreme hot every time someone walked in. I've tested packet seeds several times against my own seeds, and my seeds always out germinated them even if my seeds were 5 years old. Sweet peas (flowers) in particular I've noticed are as old as the hills in those packets. One can only imagine the true age of those 'date stamped' packets.Sad to say, when it comes to seed packets, "garden" stores treat their seeds no better than supermarkets. Although some mail order seed houses treat their seed better (you can often tell by their packaging) IMO commercial seed in general can be unreliable, whether new or old. The two worst germination rates I had this year for members of the nightshade family were from "new" commercial seed... and more than once, I've ordered seed through the mail which had zero germination.
Supposedly, seed companies can sell seed as long as it meets minimum germination requirements - regardless of age. So the date stamp on the seed packet is essentially meaningless. In the U.S., the minimum germination rates for commercial seeds are established by govt. regulation, such as the Federal Seed Act. I suspect there are similar regulations in other countries.
There are limits there though. Two years ago, I cleared out my "file cabinet" of tomato seeds (with some seed going back to the turn of the millennium) and planted EVERYTHING in it out of the 2-3 pounds of tomato seeds (not packets, actual pounds) I only got ONE plant. Guess I held them for too long (it's a pity since some of that stuff was irreplaceable)Old tomato seed - properly stored - will have at least fair germination for a long time. The oldest saved tomato seed I planted this year was from 2006, and still had 80% germination. I have great reservations though about buying old seed, for tomatoes or anything else. You have no idea what conditions the seed has been exposed to. Not to say that it shouldn't be tried; but it would be wise to have a backup plan in case of failure.
Sad to say, when it comes to seed packets, "garden" stores treat their seeds no better than supermarkets. Although some mail order seed houses treat their seed better (you can often tell by their packaging) IMO commercial seed in general can be unreliable, whether new or old. The two worst germination rates I had this year for members of the nightshade family were from "new" commercial seed... and more than once, I've ordered seed through the mail which had zero germination.
True! I bought my New tomato seeds from High Mowing, so I figure the quality is pretty good.Old tomato seed - properly stored - will have at least fair germination for a long time. The oldest saved tomato seed I planted this year was from 2006, and still had 80% germination. I have great reservations though about buying old seed, for tomatoes or anything else. You have no idea what conditions the seed has been exposed to. Not to say that it shouldn't be tried; but it would be wise to have a backup plan in case of failure.
Sad to say, when it comes to seed packets, "garden" stores treat their seeds no better than supermarkets. Although some mail order seed houses treat their seed better (you can often tell by their packaging) IMO commercial seed in general can be unreliable, whether new or old. The two worst germination rates I had this year for members of the nightshade family were from "new" commercial seed... and more than once, I've ordered seed through the mail which had zero germination.
@Pulsegleaner I've ordered quite a bit from Richter's in the last couple years. I have been quite surprised how poor the germination has been with many of those packets, even though the packets as you describe are substantial. Specialty marigolds I tried, which were really stuffed full of seed, had 0% germination. Sadly, when I've tried to contact them with a question a few times about a purchase (I bought some unique celery from them and the package said to stratify them??) no one ever called me back.
I'm trying to envision how one would plant 3 pounds of tomato seed...
And frankly, I'm surprised nothing at all came up. Given my success with 14-15 year old seed, I would have expected something out of thousands (tens of thousands?) of seeds.
Well, if you read carefully, you'll see one DID come up (a round green cherry)I'm trying to envision how one would plant 3 pounds of tomato seed...
But yes, there are limits. One never really knows what those limits are until they have been exceeded. I test those limits constantly, and have several losses in peppers & soybeans that delineate the limits for those species. Even then, it is not simple... hot peppers seem to last longer than sweet peppers, and grain soybeans last longer than edamame. Thus far, I have yet to lose a tomato variety in storage.
Richter's Seed Zoo is a poor example, since by their own admission, they don't grow that seed. It is just collected elsewhere, and re-packaged by them. Presumably there was little to no control during plant growth, seed harvest & processing, and storage prior to them packaging the seed... so no telling what conditions the seeds were exposed to. Essentially that aspect of their business acts more like a germplasm resource, rather than a commercial seed operation. Do they even have germination rates on their seeds?
