While preparing for the upcoming crop season, I had the privilege of sorting through our large seed collection. It turns out we have seeds going back to 2006. I was not sure how well those would do for planting. However, if you are a plant enthusiast such as myself, and interested in saving & collecting seed here are a few guidelines I found on the Ohio State University Extension page on seed saving:
Asian greens – three years
Bush and pole beans – two years
Beets – two years
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Kohlrabi – three to five years
Carrots – three years
Collards, Kale – three to five years
Sweet Corn – one year
Cucumbers – three years
Leeks, Onions – two to three years
Lettuce – three years
Melons – three years
Parsley – two years
Parsnips– one year
Peas – two years
Radishes – four years
Rutabagas – three years
Spinach – one season
Swiss Chard – two years
Squashes – three to four years
Tomatoes – three years
Turnips – four years
The authors also mention that annuals are generally good for one to three years; perennials for two to four years.
Happy seed saving!
– Awinda Otieno-Pala, Horticulturalist, UTC staff