Wow - that's a much wider spacing than I guessed. I may need to replant some tomorrow. For some reason, I thought they could be placed close together. Maybe that was onions. Well, this year is an experiment. Next year, I want to save good quality seed to share. mauirose - unfortunately, they are only purple on the outside. The inside is more yellow orange. bsntech - I had carrots over winter under shredded leaves, but I didn't try it with this variety this year. Glad to see more people seed-saving! Just FYI - carrots cross easily with Queen Ann's Lace and broccoli can be tricky. Do you have "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth? Great book on seed saving! Bellatrix

It really depends on what they are. Some seeds are only viable for a few weeks, while others can last for tens or even hundreds of years. If they are for perennials, they will probably be good until next year. Annuals tend not to last as long, but if you keep them in the fridge, you should still get enough germinating to make it worth keeping them. Herbs and veggies can be all over the map when it comes to longevity. Onion and allium relatives don't keep that well, lettuce and many other greens are also short lived, but tomatoes, eggplants and peppers can last for many years. In any event, keep them and give them a try. I found some lettuce seeds once that were at least six years old, and I had a germination rate of at least 50%. I've also had one year old tomato seeds fail. You never know :-) Next year I would start at least some of the seeds in a wet coffee filter (placed in a ziplock baggie). Check daily, and transfer any germinating seeds to your seed trays. This way you can see what the germination rate is like, and if it is a complete failure, you will know early on and have time to buy some new seeds. BP

Image by: wintersown Seed Storage Boxes That's a tough question to answer because some plants have seeds that will remain viable years and years, and some plants have seed that will be viable for a much shorter time, perhaps just a year or two. Plant varieties are genetically different and Mother Nature controls this aspect. So, we have to look at the question differently, and maybe even ask it differently. Let's change the question to: What can I do to make my seeds last as long as they can? There's several ways to do this. We must first assure that the seeds are ripe when we collect them and have been allowed to dry in an open and well ventilated area, the moisture will slowly evaporate from them. For some simple and general information on harvesting and drying seeds please see the Seed Saving Forum FAQ called: "Saving your own seeds is easy to do!" How can I store my seeds after they've been dried? There are many favorite methods. The most important aspects of seed storage is to assure that they're consistantly dry and away from severe fluctuations of heat. I store my seeds in cardboard file boxes. I even have alpha-sort cards in them so I can organize the seeds alphabetically....you could also use shoe-boxes for the same purpose, they work great and it's an excellent way to recycle too! I keep four boxes for my seeds, a box each for: Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Veggies and Trees and Bushes. I keep the boxes on a shelf in my house. The room has a comfortable temperature all year round, and the shelf is out of direct sun. Any sunlight streaming through the windows won't fall directly on the boxes and their contents won't heat inside from the warming sunshine. ============== Some of my seed-saving friends keep their seeds in recycled popcorn tins. These are very colorful and they have a tight fitting lid. After you eat the popcorn do wash the container and it's lid inside and out with hot soapy water. Rinse it well and dry it thoroughly. Any moisture left inside the can could foster rotting of the seeds, and it might cause the can to rust too ;-( They place their packets of seeds in zip bags, squeeze out as much air as they can, and zip them shut. Their seeds are organized bag by bag by their own preferences. The can goes out of direct light for storage. Place it in a closet, or under a table skirt, or up on a shelf....anywhere that it won't get fluctuating heat and won't be in direct sunshine streaming through a window. ===================== Another friend places his seeds in plastic boxes with tight fitting lids and stores them in the refrigerator. The refrigerator does not have fluctuating temperatures and the light only goes on when he's snacking or cooking ;-) ===================== Can I use something with my stored seeds to help absorb any moisture from the air that might linger in the container when I go into it for a pack of seeds? Yes you can! I use packets of silica gel and toss a few into each file-box of seeds I have. (They can go into baggies or tins or plastic boxes too.) Where do I get the silica packets? I save mine whenever I get a freebie pack. Sometimes when you buy shoes, or a wallet, or a handbag there's a pack of silica gel with the item to help absorb moisture. Another excellent freebie source is in vials of prescription drugs. Can I buy Silica Gel packets too? Yes you can! Ask for silica gel at luggage stores and shoe shops. Generally, wherever good leather products are sold you can find silica gel for sale too. =============== I hope this FAQ has been informative and that your seeds last for a very long time! Trudi

i doubt they will sprout.. not because they are 11 years old, but because basement is typically the worst place to store seeds due to moisture. unless they were in a air tight mason jar or something really sealed up, don't think they will. give it a shot though, throw a few of them on a plate with a damp paper towel and toss in a plastic bag for a few days..