How to Test if Old Seeds are still Viable

I'm in a hurry today, lots to do! So this is another quickie post that I would normally post on "tip-sy tuesday" - let's call it "tip-sy Friday" just for today (not as catchy but just as quick!).

People have gone crazy buying up all the vegetable seeds and plants, Burpee stopped taking orders for a couple weeks because they were so overwhelmed and so far I haven't found any at my normal sources. I got to thinking about some old half-used seed packets left over from who knows how long ago - wonder if they're still good? I googled and there is an easy test to see if they will germinate before you take the time to plant them in the garden so I'm in the process of testing the beans and peas I have on hand - unfortunately I don't have any tomato seeds and you know how much I LOVE my cherry tomatoes!!

(side note: you can plant peas and potatoes now without having to worry that it isn't consistently warm enough yet - that's why the people who have hoarded all the tomatoes are driving me crazy! We can't plant here in MI until all chance of frost is gone and the rule of thumb is to not plant before Memorial Day). Here's how to test:

Take some of your seeds, preferably 10, and place them on top of a damp paper towel. Fold over the paper towel and place in a zip-up plastic bag and seal it, making sure the seeds aren't touching; this helps to keep the towel moist and protected. Then put in a warm location, like a high shelf or on top of the refrigerator, and check the seeds often—around once a day—to see if they have began to germinate and/or to check the moisture of the paper towel. If it needs more water, carefully mist the towel to where it is damp, but be careful not to apply too much water. Make sure the location you have chosen is away from exposure to direct sunlight. This can overheat your seeds.

Your seeds should begin to germinate in several days up to a couple of weeks, depending on the seed-type. A good rule of thumb is to wait roughly 10 days; however, if you want to give your seeds the best chance, research the germination time of your specific seeds. Once the allotted time has passed, check to see how many have germinated. If you placed 10 seeds on the paper towel, this will be pretty easy to calculate. If less than 5 seeds sprouted, your old packet may not have much success when it comes to planting. If more then 5 sprouted, then your seeds still have a lot of vigor left in them!

I included the seed packet in the plastic bag so I can remember which are which.
Hopefully that doesn't mess up the germination test!

Some people wait to perform this germination test around the time of planting, so that the successfully sprouted seeds can be placed directly in their garden—a good way to cut time and ensure the plants will flourish beautifully outdoors.