Veg seed viability

[Odsox]

I sorted through my seed packets the other weekend to work out what seed I need to buy for next year. I ended up with 6 packets that were past their use by date, or to be precise, 5 past their use by date and one well within.
That one was parsnip which I bought last year and stated sow by 2018, but I have always used fresh seed every year.
The other 5 were Leek (2015), Sweetcorn (saved 2015), January King cabbage (2016), Savoy King (2013) and Summer cabbage (2016).
I did a germination test on them and the results were, Leek 0%, Summer cabbage 0%, Jan King cabbage 50%, Savoy King 50% and Sweetcorn 100%.
The Savoy King is expensive F1 seed so well worth doing this test as I have more than enough to sow double the amount I need instead of buying a new packet at €4.50 odd, even though it will be 5 years after it use by date.

Oh and the parsnip, 0%, so it seems I was right (yet again )

[Green Aura]

Definitely well worth doing. We had some PSB which continued to germinate happily well beyond its sow by date (as in about 8 years beyond ).

Tomato seeds keep really well too.

[Odsox]

I grew some Russian Kale years ago and the patch was then turned into a lawn, when I dug the lawn up about 15 years later it was smothered in Russian Kale seedlings the next spring.
Not sure that's a foolproof way of storing seeds though.

[Flo]

With brassicas of all sorts you can be quite lucky with seeds carrying on from one year to the next and a few after that. Depending on how you store them of course.

There's a lesson about not buying more than you need or forgetting to sow them of course.