How can you tell if the seeds in the packets are older and not going to bloom. I have been told to never buy packets from dollar stores because the seeds are to old. How long do seeds last in these packets? Do the expire? How can I tell if they are outdated?
I don't know how to tell if seeds from the dollar store are old or just not good. I just started my first garden from seeds last month. I bought them from Home Depot and all but one seem to be growing well. My Rosemary did not sprout so it could be the seed or just something I did wrong. You can do a little experiment. Buy one packet of seeds from the Dollar Store and buy the same type of seeds from Walmart or Home Depot. Plant them at the same time and see which one does better. If anything, you will only be out a few dollars. I may have to try that myself since you have me wondering if there truly is a difference.
Don't you have an expiry date on the packet? I usually don't buy seeds older than a year...most seeds lose their germination potential after a year. I however store my packets in the fridge and use them if I have seeds left over from the previous year. They seem to work for me.
The seeds that we found for sale in stores are generally different species and varieties of quality market gardeners and floral, duly selected, giving good results in culture. Commercial varieties are obtained by crossing and having particular qualities, both from the standpoint of product quality and productivity and disease resistance. The seeds that we can buy have a use-by date, a period of time recommended for planting. Indeed a seed germination is scheduled to last time well determined, beyond which it becomes random germination. So try to buy the bags with more distant deadline, if possible a few years.
I didn't know seeds expired if they do i'm sure the day they expire will be on the packet like most products if not I have no idea
Seed packets are supposed to have an expiration date printed on the outside of the package. It can be a bit tricky to find them sometimes but it should be there somewhere. I haven't had any problems with cheap seed packets any more than I have had with the more expensive ones.
I think it all depends on where the seeds come from and how they have been stored. If the seeds are organic, they should last a while. I bought some seeds at the dollar store and I gave some to someone else. I haven't gotten around to sprouting mine, but the other person planted theirs and as far as I know the seeds were fine. If you buy a packet and they don't sprout, you aren't really out much, after all you get several packets for your dollar. Wherever you buy your seeds they should be guaranteed. I saw something on Pinterest that can help you find out if your seeds are viable:Log In.
They have found seeds in Egyptian tombs that will still germinate. I have saved my seeds for years and they still grow. The most important thing is to make sure they are keep cool and free of moisture. Moisture causes mold and mildew which makes the seed un- viable There are germination test you can conduct, such as placing the seeds on a napkin inside of a plastic bag. If the plant starts to sprout it is viable if not well .... who knows. I called a company once because my seeds didn't sprout, they sent me more. Later both of the packs of seed sprouted. "My bad" I guess it was arrogant on my behalf to assume if they didn't sprout for me something is wrong with them.
