On Tue, 27 Mar 2012 David WE Roberts wrote:
For seeds, that is.
Now, ones from last year to use by end 2012 should probably be O.K.
But what about ones to use by end 2011?
Is the 'use by' date like that for drugs etc. when they draw a line when they are
for example only 80% effective?
I have just been sorting out my bags of left over seeds and wondering
how many might still be viable. Perhaps I will experiment :-)
I assume in the wild seeds can lie dormant for several years until
conditions improve.
I didn't reply to this immediately as I thought others might quote from
any books they might have on this subject. However as they haven't, here
goes ...
I have a copy of Newsham's Horticultural Notebook, which was first
published in 1905 and went through several editions before being revised
by Colonel W. E. Shewell Cooper in 1950. It was a handbook aimed at
"horticultural advisers, gardeners, nurserymen, students, and all
horticulturists" as a quick source of information. My copy is dated 1960
and originally belonged to my parents. Just how accurate it is by
today's standards I don't know.
I have photocopied the page on the longevity of seeds. There are two
tables, the first presumably by Newsham himself and the second by the
French gardener and nurseryman Vilmorin (whose name still exists on seed
packets sold in France today). I post this for what it's worth! At the
very least it is interesting. I hope the formatting comes out reasonably
well for you!
TABLE SHOWING APPROXIMATELY THE LONGEVITY OF COMMON GARDEN SEEDS.
years
Artichoke 5 to 10
Asparagus 4 to 8
Beans, Broad 2 to 4
Beans, Kidney 3 to 8
Beet 5 to 10
Cabbage 5 to 8
Carrot 5 to 10
Celery 7 to 10
Cardoon 6 to 9
Cress 4 to 8
Cucumber 8 to 10
Gourd 6 to 10
Lavender 4 to 6
Leeks 4 to 8
Lettuce 4 to 8
Melons 6 to 10
Mustard 4 to 8
Onions 2 to 5
Parsnip 2 to 4
Parsley 4 to 8
Peas 2 to 7
Pumpkin 8 to 10
Radish 4 to 8
Rhubarb 3 to 6
Salsify 2 to 7
Spinach 4 to 6
Tomato 3 to 6
Turnip 5 to 7
LONGEVITY OF GARDEN SEEDS (Monsieur de VILMORIN).
Mean. | Utmost Years.
Angelica - l or 2 3
Bean · 3 8
Beet - · 6 10
Borecole · 5 10
Broccoli - 5 10
Cabbage - 5 10
Carrot - 4 or 5 10
Cauliflower - 5 10
Celery - 8 10
Cress, Common 5 9
Cucumber - 10 10
Endive - 10 10
Gourds · 6 10
Kohlrabi - 5 10
Leek - - 3 9
Lettuce · 5 9
Maize - · 2 4
Mustard · 4 9
Onion- - 2 7
Parsnip · 2 4
Parsley - 3 9
Pea, Garden - 3 8
Pea Field - 3 8
Pepper - 4 7
Pumpkin - 4 or 5 9
Radish . 5 10
Rhubarb - 3 8
Rosemary - 4 ?
Rue - - 2 5
Sage - - 3 7
Salsify - 2 8
Scorzonera - 2 7
Seakale - 1 7
Spinach - 5 7
Strawberry - 3 6
Thyme - 3 7
Tomato - 4 9
Turnip - 5 10
Water-melon - 6 10
Wormwood - 4 6
David
--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk