- Home
- Gardening, lawn and landscape
- Gardening techniques
- English
- Español
Q:
How long are old garden vegetable seeds still usable? Packed for "--" season?
A:
Most seed packets state the year of intended use, usually on the top or bottom flap, and many also list minimum germination standards and usual seed life. That's a good place to start when determining whether or not you can use seeds from past seasons.
Seeds that have been stored in a cool, dry place are generally viable for at least a year past the season for which they were packaged and may be good for up to five years.
See some related articles below for more information.
Related content
Credit: Lynn Ketchum (Cropped from original)
Seed packet info is a gardener's guide
Seed packets have helpful information that assists vegetable gardeners in making the best choices for particular situations whether the goal is increased production, disease resistance, seed saving or quick maturity.
Nicole Sanchez |Feb 2020 |Article
Credit: Lynn Ketchum (Cropped from original)
Seize some seeds from the garden for planting next year
The key to saving seed is selecting open-pollinated or heirloom plants, which produce offspring with the same traits.
Kym Pokorny |Oct 1, 2023 |News story
Credit: Amanda Loman (Cropped from original)
A step-by-step guide to saving seeds
Saving the seeds of fruits, vegetables and flowers is an excellent way to engage in the worldwide movement to preserve some of the older “heirloom” varieties of seed. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it.
Maud Powell |Mar 2010 |Article
Start your own vegetables from seeds
Learn about starting vegetables from seeds. Start inside small pots in the early spring and then move them to larger pots as they grow. Use the right soil, pots, and lights to produce healthy plants! Growing Your Own: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9027
Brooke Edmunds |Jun 2020 |Video
Credit: Lynn Ketchum (Cropped from original)
When to start seeds indoors in Oregon
Wondering when to plant vegetables? Use this handy table to figure out the optimum time.
Jul 2018 |Article
Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension:Gardening techniques
Was this page helpful?
Related Content from OSU Extension
Credit: Nicole Sanchez (Cropped from original) Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardeners in the county researched alternative lawns and sought ways to help gardeners understand drip irrigation better. Nicole Sanchez |Mar 2024 |Impact storyKlamath County Master Gardeners design and deliver ‘DIY’ irrigation program
Photo from video (Cropped from original) Take a guided tour through a rain garden to see the variety of ornamental and edible plants that do well in the flooded and dry areas. Learn how this type of landscape reduces rainwater runoff at your home. Robert Emanual |Mar 2020 |VideoPortland rain garden example
Credit: Scott Mitchell, © Oregon State University (Cropped from original) Understanding plant cells and meristems is important for successful vegetative propagation and manipulation of plant growth and flowering. This article provides an introduction to these characteristics of plant cells. Ann Marie VanDerZanden |Jan 2008 |ArticlePeer reviewed (Gray level)Internal plant parts
Cover crops can add organic matter and aerate the soil, protect it from compaction caused by rain, suppress weeds and reduce erosion, Kym Pokorny |Sep 9, 2022 |News storyNow’s the time to plan for cover crops
Credit: Amanda Loman (Cropped from original) Knowledge is everything when it comes to pruning mature trees. Kym Pokorny |Feb 18, 2022 |News storyGive overgrown trees a makeover with new OSU pruning video series
We can all do our part to help by changing our practices – often just by a bit, depending on the methods you’ve already put in place. Kym Pokorny |May 28, 2021 |News storySave money and help the planet with sustainable garden practices
If you’re choosing varieties for Western Oregon, look for melons that require a shorter season. Kym Pokorny |May 24, 2021 |News storyWith a few tips and patience, Western Oregon gardeners can grow melons
Photo: Brooke Edmunds (Cropped from original) There are some dwarf and miniature varieties of vegetables, such as Thumbelina carrots or other baby vegetables that work particularly well in small confines. Kym Pokorny |Mar 26, 2021 |News storyNo room for vegetables? Pot up your plants
Credit: Pete Petryszak (Cropped from original) Asparagus is a hardy perennial and should be planted as soon as the soil can be properly prepared in the spring. Kym Pokorny |Feb 12, 2021 |News storyWith the right care, asparagus beds will produce for decades
Credit: Amanda Loman (Cropped from original) Understanding terms associated with seeds will help you pinpoint which selections best serve specific gardens and practices. Kym Pokorny |Jan 23, 2021 |News storyLearn the terms on seed packets to make the right selection
Birds eat berries in winter for food to give them the energy they need to survive the prolonged stress of cold and wet weather. Kym Pokorny |Jan 16, 2021 |News storyFeed birds in winter with berry-bearing plants
Add a fire and a cup of tea and relax with one of these 11 books recommended by Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturists. Kym Pokorny |Dec 18, 2020 |News storyTurn to gardening books for comfort and inspiration
Credit: Mary Stewart (Cropped from original) You’ll recognize some perennials that are good choices to clean up now because they die to the ground. Kym Pokorny |Nov 20, 2020 |News storyTake one more go at the garden before retiring for winter
Courtesy: Rory Mc Donnell (Cropped from original) In Oregon at least half of the 20 top agricultural commodities suffer from slug damage. Kym Pokorny |Nov 16, 2020 |News storyMicroscopic worm that liquefies slugs may be answer to controlling this invasive pest
Experts from Oregon State University Extension Service stepped up to bust some common gardening myths. Kym Pokorny |Jul 14, 2023 |News storyMyth vs. reality: What’s the truth behind some common gardening practices?
Slugs aren’t crazy about winter and summer. They bail from cold or hot weather. But fall and spring are agreeable seasons for slugs. Kym Pokorny |Oct 28, 2022 |News storyControl slugs now as they lay eggs to hatch in spring
Credit: Amy Jo Detweiler (Cropped from original) Every plant in the publication has research behind its ability to contribute to a fire-wise defensible space around your home. Francesca Rossi |Jun 14, 2024 |News storyExtension publication brings more fire education to home landscapes
Plants are essential to life on earth. Understanding how plants grow and develop helps us capitalize on their usefulness and make them part of our everyday lives. Ann Marie VanDerZanden |Jan 2008 |CollectionPeer reviewed (Gray level)Botany basics
Have a question? Ask Extension!
Ask Extension is a way for you to get answers from the Oregon State University Extension Service. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening.
Ask us a question
