@robinz
As Nancy said, seeds are fairly resilent in storage (generally,) and those you don't get planted this year, save in a cool, dark, dry place.
This spring I had great germination from 12-year -old tomato seeds.
(Insert the sound of Ken dragging out the soapbox....)
I can't stress enough to find reputable sources for your seed. Those sources comply with the U.S.D.A. seed laws in the U.S., (namely Federal Seed Act (FSA) and its related regulations.) While you may pay more for your seeds than that person on Esty or Ebay, those companies complying with import regulations and the FSA seed labeling laws are actually protecting all gardeners. Not only do I assume my seeds will grow true to name, I assume they are fresh, were stored well and packaged correctly before I purchased them.
Federal Seed Act said:
The FSA is a truth-in-labeling-law that regulates agricultural and vegetable seed shipped in interstate commerce. It requires that seed shipments between States are labeled with certain quality information necessary for seed buyers to make informed choices.
Primary labeling requirements of the FSA include seed purity percentage, germination percentage, number of noxious weed seeds per pound, chemical seed treatment (if present), kind and varietal identification, and the name and address of the interstate shipper.
Online sellers (etsy, ebay, amazon, etc.) don't police themselves well and the online platforms don't seem to care much either.
I don't want grapefruit seeds that were cleaned in a mouth at a breakfast table and then spit into the envelope they sent to me....
Who is with me?
I'll thank the reputable seed companies with my orders from them and my referrals to them.
