How Long Do Vegetable Seeds Last? Typical Years by Crop
Onion and parsley seed lasts about 1 year. Cucumber, melon, and radish last about 5. A crop-by-crop chart of typical seed life in cool, dry storage, and w...
Published by ThriveThyme
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How Long Do Vegetable Seeds Last?
Most vegetable seed stays usable for 3 to 5 years in cool, dry storage. The short-lived exceptions are onion, leek, parsley, and parsnip, at about 1 year. Pepper, sweet corn, okra, and spinach last about 2.
Count from the "Packed for" year on the packet. That year is year 0. Check your own packets on the Seed Viability Check.
Typical Years by Crop
These are typical figures for seed kept cool and dry. Where Illinois, Iowa State, and Nebraska Extension tables disagree, this chart uses the lowest number. Germination still drops a little each year inside the range.
| Years | Crops |
|---|---|
| 1 | Onion, leek, parsley, parsnip, salsify |
| 2 | Pepper, sweet corn, okra, spinach |
| 3 | Bean, pea, carrot, lettuce, tomato, broccoli, kohlrabi, celery, arugula, bok choy, asparagus |
| 4 | Beet, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, chard, eggplant, pumpkin, squash, turnip, rutabaga, mustard, watermelon |
| 5 | Cucumber, melon, radish, endive |
Herbs and flowers not on the list: treat them as about 2 years and test after the first year.
What the Years Mean
- Inside the range: sow at the normal rate.
- Up to 2 years past the range: run a quick paper towel germination test before you plan a bed around it.
- Well past the range: buy fresh seed for the main planting. Iowa State Extension advises not spending time testing seed far past its expected life.
Example for a 2026 check: tomato seed packed for 2024 or later is likely good. Packed for 2022 or 2023, test first. Packed for 2021 or earlier, replace.
Storage Changes Everything
The chart assumes cool, dry, dark storage. A packet left in a hot shed or a humid garage can fail in a single summer. A packet in a sealed jar in the refrigerator can beat the chart. See How to store leftover seeds over winter.
Next Steps
- Add packets with their packed-for year to My seed stash, then open the Seed Viability Check to sort them into likely good, test first, and replace.
- Decide what to do with borderline packets: Old seeds: sow, test, or replace?
Sources: Illinois Extension, Iowa State University Extension, Nebraska Extension G2090, K-State Research and Extension.