Kushtaka
Member
Great information. Do you grow fresh seed every year?Most veggie seeds remain viable for 2 to 5 years.
Seed Viability & Storage Guide | Johnny's Selected Seeds
How long can seeds last in storage? One to several years for most common crops, but there are some caveats. Follow these simple tips and charts for successful seed-saving for the future.www.johnnyseeds.com
Tobacco seed, if stored and kept dry, can last as long as 40 years. As for my own experience, this is my 17th year growing tobacco. 2011 was the first season that I bagged and saved seed. I have stored it in sealed dry boxes (used for water sports) along with a pack of desiccant in each box. The boxes are stored in a little refrigerator at just above freezing.
So...15 years is my max so far. USDA ARS-GRIN refreshes their tobacco seed accessions at 10 year intervals.
Bob
All of my veggies are from annually saved seed. I am working on local adaptation. I generally feed seed older than 2 years to my chickens. Not really an option with seeds like tobacco. I planned on discarding old tobacco seeds too. Good to know if I hit on a good variety I can keep using seeds from the same generation to slow genetic drift.
