In article , MM
writes
On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 22:31:36 +0100, Janet Tweedy
wrote:

I found had loads of seeds over as well so I am starting up a stand at
the Gardening Club where we can swap the packets. This ay we get to try
something we wouldn't normally have bought and we don't waster the
seeds. Mind you, many seeds will germinate even if stored for a couple
of years or more.

I think they last a lot longer than a couple of years. I believe
anything up to 10 years is fairly normal, and ages of 20 or more years
not unusual. The record is about 50 years for tomato seed, apparently.

It depends on the type of seed and what they are adapted to in the wild.

The cornfield poppy, for example, needs bare ground to germinate because
it's not very good at competing with existing vegetation, so its seeds
are designed to remain dormant in the soil for very many years until
such time as they are brought to the surface by ploughing, roadworks or
whatever.

Other seeds may go off very quickly - for example parsley and parsnip.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"