Seed Viability & Seed Storage Guidelines
Seed Storage and Seed Life: Quick Charts and Notes for New Seed Savers
Want to save your own seeds? You don't need a climate-controlled warehouse or a seed company; people everywhere have saved seed for thousands of years. Success does depend on the crop, the seed's condition, timing and how you store it…
Keeping Seed in Good Condition
Kept in good conditions, seed of many (not all) common crops stays viable for one to several years. Good conditions mean cool and dry: a low temperature (around 42°F / 5.6°C) and low relative humidity. A handy rule of thumb is that the temperature in °F plus the percent relative humidity should add up to less than 100.
How long seed actually lasts depends on its viability and moisture content when it goes into storage, the variety, how storage conditions hold up over time, and other factors.
An easy storage method for gardeners and growers is a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. Label it with the crop, the date stored and anything else you might want to know later. Adding a desiccant packet helps. When you take seed out, let the jar warm to room temperature before opening it so moisture doesn't condense on the seed and inside the jar.
How to Test Seed Viability
For a germination test, put a few seeds between two damp paper towels, seal them in a zip-top bag, and keep the bag at the temperature the variety needs to germinate.
If seed has been stored a while, you may want to test a sample to check that it still sprouts well. Put some seeds between two damp paper towels, seal them in a zip-top bag, and keep the bag at a temperature that suits the variety. (The packet back or the product page lists the best germination temperatures.) After several days, or longer for slow sprouters, count how many seeds have germinated.
Viability vs. Germination
Germination rate and viability both tend to fall as seed ages. Viability means a seed's ability to grow into a strong seedling. Viability usually drops before germination, so an old seed lot can still sprout yet produce weak seedlings.
How to Read the Storage Charts
- Each chart gives an average range based on our experience and on published expert sources (see references and further reading).
- Your results may differ, depending on storage conditions and the seed's condition when stored.
- Note that all figures are for raw seed. Pelleted seedof any variety should be used within a year, because pelleting shortens seed life.
Storage Life of Farm Seed and Cover Crop Seed
| Crop | Typical storage life (years) |
|---|---|
| Alfalfa | 2–5 years |
| Barley | 3–5 years |
| Buckwheat | 2–5 years |
| Cowpea | 5 years |
| Clover, Crimson | 5 years |
| Clover, White | 5 years |
| Millet | 1–2 years |
| Oats | 1–4 years |
| Rapeseed | 3–5 years |
| Rye | 1–3 years |
| Sorghum | 1–2 years |
| Sudan Grass | 1–4 years |
| Vetch, common | 3–5 years |
| Vetch, hairy | 5 years |
| Wheat, common | 3–5 years |
Storage Life of Vegetable Seed
| Crop | Typical storage life (years) |
|---|---|
| Artichoke & Cardoon | 1–4 years |
| Arugula | 6 years |
| Asparagus | 3–4 years |
| Asian Greens | 3 years |
| Beans | 2–4 years |
| Beets | 2–5 years |
| Broccoli | 3–5 years |
| Brussels Sprouts | 3–5 years |
| Cabbage | 3–5 years |
| Cabbage, Chinese | 3–5 years |
| Carrots | 3–4 years |
| Cauliflower | 4–5 years |
| Celery & Celeriac | 3–5 years |
| Chicory | 4–5 years |
| Collards | 3–5 years |
| Corn, Sweet | 1–3 years |
| Cress | 5 years |
| Cucumber | 3–6 years |
| Dandelion | 1–2 years |
| Eggplant | 4–5 years |
| Endive | 5 years |
| Fennel | 3–4 years |
| Kale | 3–5 years |
| Kohlrabi | 3–5 years |
| Leeks | 2–3 years |
| Lentil | 1–2 years |
| Lettuce | 1–6 years |
| Melon | 3–6 years |
| Mustard | 4 years |
| Okra | 2–3 years |
| Onions | 1–2 years |
| Parsnip | 1–3 years |
| Peas | 2–4 years |
| Peppers | 2–5 years |
| Pumpkins | 4–6 years |
| Purslane | 3–5 years |
| Radish | 4–5 years |
| Rutabaga | 3–5 years |
| Salsify | 1–2 years |
| Soybean | 3–5 years |
| Spinach | 1–5 years |
| Squash & Gourds | 3–6 years |
| Swiss Chard | 2–5 years |
| Tomato | 3–7 years |
| Turnip | 4–5 years |
| Watermelon | 4–5 years |
Storage Life of Herb Seed
| Crop | Typical storage life (years) |
|---|---|
| Angelica | 2 years |
| Anise | 1–4 years |
| Basil, sweet | 3–5 years |
| Borage | 1–4 years |
| Caraway | 1–2 years |
| Catnip | 3 years |
| Chamomile | 4 years |
| Chervil | 1–4 years |
| Chives | 1–3 years |
| Cilantro/Coriander | 1–4 years |
| Cumin | 1–3 years |
| Dill | 1–4 years |
| Fennel | 1–2 years |
| Lavender | 4 years |
| Lemon Balm | 1–4 years |
| Lemon Grass | 3 years |
| Lovage | 1–3 years |
| Marjoram | 1–4 years |
| Mexican Mint Marigold | 4 years |
| Mountain Mint | 4 years |
| Oregano | 4 years |
| Parsley | 1–4 years |
| Rosemary | 1–4 years |
| Sage | 1–3 years |
| Savory | 1–4 years |
| Thyme | 1–4 years |
| Valerian | 2–3 years |
Storage Life of Fruit Seed
| Crop | Typical storage life (years) |
|---|---|
| Melon | 3–6 years |
| Rhubarb | 1–2 years |
| Strawberry | 5 years |
| Watermelon | 4–5 years |
Storage Life of Flower Seed
Further reading
Seed-Saving Resources
- » Growing Garden Seeds. This booklet, first published in 1976, covers the basics of producing, harvesting and storing seed for gardeners and small farms.
Sources and further reading
- Andreu, A. 2003. Plant Data Sheet (Artemisia tridentata). University of Washington.
- Ashworth, S, D. Cavagnaro & K. Whealy. 2002. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners, 2nd Edition. Chelsea Green.
- Deppe, C. 2015. 8 Seed-Saving Myths. Excerpt from The Tao of Vegetable Gardening. Chelsea Green.
- Ells, J.E., L.N. Bass & D. Whiting. 2013. Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds. Colorado State University Extension.
- Justice, O.L. & L.N. Bass. 1978. Principles and Practices of Seed Storage. USDA.
- Kallio, A. 1979. Vegetable Gardening Hints. University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service.
- Maynard, D.N. & G.J. Hochmuth. 2006. Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 5th Edition. Wiley.
- Mytty, M. 2003. Plant Data Sheet (Aquilegia formosa). University of Washington.
- Navazio, J. 2012. A Short History of Agricultural Seed. Excerpt from The Organic Seed Grower: A Farmer's Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green.
- Pasian, C. 2015. Floriculture Crop Seed Quality and Seed-Handling. Ohio State University Extension.
- Rogers, M. & P. Alexander. 1990. Saving Seeds: The Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds (A Down-to-Earth Gardening Book). Storey Publishing.
- Seed Savers Exchange. 2017. Grow and Save Arugula Seeds.
- Tucker, A.O. & T. Debaggio. 2009. The Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance. Timber Press.
