Should I be upset?

[sgtsheart]

I placed a rather large order with Johnny's Select Seeds and got my order today.
I noticed on the individual seed packets that some say: tested in month/07, Sell by month/08. Some of these were to be sold by March, April, June/08. Should I be upset? Did they sell me old seed?

 

[patandchickens]

not unless you are writing to us from the future via a time machine


Pat, in canada, where it is currently february 2008

 

[sgtsheart]

I'm not of course. What I'm talking about is this example:

The corn for example, says 'sell by 3 (March) 08. I won't even be planting it until at least the end of April. So aren't I planting old seed?

 

[hsm5grls]

Sell by dates are not the same as say an experation date. It just means that they need to have it out of there stock by that date. So in other words they need to be planted this season. Just like when you buy things at the store they always have a sell by date. It doesn't mean they are bad it just helps the store know hhow long it has been there and when it needs to leave the store. You can get great discounts that way.

 

[patandchickens]

Sorry for being flippant, but no, personally I would not worry about those seed packets.

Pat

 

[silkiechicken]

I wouldn't worry either. I often buy packets of seeds, and since nobody needs 40 zucchini plants in one year, I just save them over and plant the next. I have often saved seeds a season or two and they plant just fine. There are cases of seeds taken out of old caves and shrines, like a waterlilly I think from a temple or something, that dated thousands of years old... and still were able to sprout!

Of course, I would take it to be safe and with high germination rates as long as the seeds are under a few years old.

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Most seeds stay viable for 3 to 5 years, tomato being 4, according to the "university experts"
Seeds can last a whole lot longer in my experience.
I've planted seeds 7 and 8 years old and they've come up.
I read an article about a date palm seed in Israel 2000 years old that is now planted and growing.
Imagine a tree seed now growing that may have fallen off a tree that Jesus ate fruit from.

~Mark

 

[patandchickens]

In case anyone is curious, here are a couple links with estimated viability length of some common seed types:

http://faculty.matcmadison.edu/mchristoffel/plants/seeds/viability.htm

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/3-3-1995/seedv.html

Of course it depends A LOT on how they were stored.

If you are wondering 'do I need to buy a new packet of <whatever> this year or can I get away with using the crusty old undated remnants I found in the back of my seed box', The first link gives a summary of how to do a viability test -- it uses up seed, so either don't use your whole seed supply up in the test, or for plants that do okay being presprouted and *then* planted you can keep a sharp eye on your test seeds and transfer them to a flat or pots if they sprout.


Pat