Dated (or undated) seed packets ....

Crazy Horse · May 3, 2019

Most of the garden seed packs we buy up here are not dated. Occasionally you might find something that is but very seldom. I think they should be required to date the pack. Who knows how old the seeds are that you purchase otherwise? One thing for sure, the ones on the rack in the store are the oldest ones they have at the time.

Traditional Farmer · May 3, 2019

If you can't trust the people you buy the seed from you need to buy from someone else.

MJMJ · May 3, 2019

Seeds are viable for years as long as they stay dry. Not really something worth worrying about.

Crazy Horse · May 3, 2019

TF .... well, I don't think I said I didn't trust anybody. I'm just wondering why the companies that package their seeds fail to date them (while some do). You'd think that would be a requirement. The store/retailer wouldn't date a seed package, it would have to be done at the source I would think. Do all of the seeds you purchase have a packaging date? Someone else mentioned not to worry about it if you store them properly. OK, I get that, but seed germination rates do decrease over time. And yes I know, seeds from the ancient pyramids are still used to grow Egypt's annual grain crop ..... LOL !!!

coshoo · May 3, 2019

May have to do with state laws. I have never seen a seed packet in Washington without a "packed for" date on it.

rustyfarmall · May 3, 2019

Sweet corn seed packets are dated. I just looked through our stash of garden seeds and could not find a date on anything else.

Gambles · May 3, 2019

My local hardware store has three employees and they have a little bit of everything. They also sell quite a few seeds every Spring which they buy in bulk, put in envelopes and sell to the public. The packets have no date on them, it's just that they magically appear on the gardening shelves each year. Last Fall, my company replaced the fluorescent lights in the business to LED bulbs. In the back room, we noticed all the bulk seeds that were leftover from last year. So every year (as I already figured), they just take the previous year's seed and re-package it. And I really have no problem with that. Like I already mentioned, there is no date on these generic seed packets that they fill each year and I've planted some of my own seeds that were over 5 years old and they all came up.
Although they probably know that certain seeds keep for years and other seeds should be planted fresh each year.

Leroy · May 4, 2019

In Ohio I have never seen them without and after a time but don't know what seed has to be returned for retesting and packaging if it meets germ test. That is the way with field corn, beans or wheat left over. Or it used to be.

Determined · May 4, 2019

Used to be fairly common in the fall for stores to sell off for next to nothing the packets of seed that did not sell in the spring.

The tomato plants I have in the window right now were started from seed that was bought on sale for 5 cents a pack 18 years ago.

Germination was still better than 80%.

Dated (or undated) seed packets ....

Crazy Horse

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Traditional Farmer

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MJMJ

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Crazy Horse

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coshoo

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rustyfarmall

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Gambles

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Leroy

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Determined

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