On 5/26/2014 11:30 PM, SteveB wrote:
My wife is the daughter of a depression baby, and has a sometimes bad
habit of keeping things she should throw away.

We planted some Bush contender string beans last year, nice
germination time, and great growers and producers right into frost.

We had seeds left over, which she kept in a plastic ziploc in the
garden shed, temps sometimes very hot, and then through a freezing
winter.

This year, it seems they to be taking a long time to germinate. Is
there a good estimate of how long seeds are good for? I would say to
buy just enough for what you need each year, but perhaps you find a
strain that you really like, and don't know if they will carry that at
the seed store next year.

And tips on storage from season to season would be appreciated.

Seed companies just keep their bulk seed in the warehouse/bulk storage
facilities, where it stays dry and safe from wide temperature swings.
The following year they'll perform germination testing and if
necessary add fresher seeds to bring the germination rate up to what
is stated on their package labeling. All seed companies do this, which
is why the label says, "Packed for calendar year", instead of "grown
for" or "harvested in" calendar year.

For home gardeners dealing with small amounts, the seed company I
worked for suggested storing the left-over seed packets in clean, dry
glass jars indoors to ensure the seeds were kept dry.

Properly stored - i.e. kept dry and safe from temperature swings -
most vegetable seeds will retain most of their germinating ability for
at least a couple more years.