two to three years.
Sweet pea seeds should remain viable for two to three years if properly stored. Harvesting sweet pea seeds is as simple as letting the pods mature on the vine until they’re ready to pick, letting them dry out, and storing.
Can I save my sweet pea seeds?
Saving sweet pea seeds
Seed can be collected in early September. Leave the seed pods on the plants until they have turned a paper bag colour. Collect them on a dry day, remove them from their pods and store in paper bags in a dry place until you a ready to sow them.
How long can you save pea seeds?
three years
Store in a cool, dry place. Pea seeds should last in storage for at least three years.
When should I store pea seeds?
Save peas and beans by allowing the pods to ripen on the plants until they are dry and starting to turn brown, with the seeds rattling inside. This may be as long as a month after you would normally harvest the peas or beans to eat. Strip the pods from the plants and spread them out to dry indoors.
Can I use seeds from last year?
Answer: Most vegetable seeds will remain viable for several years when stored in a cool, dry location. If properly stored, cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, squash, watermelon, eggplant, and radish seeds will remain viable for 5 years.
How do you know if Sweet Pea seeds are viable?
Water test: Take your seeds and put them in a container of water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. Then if the seeds sink, they are still viable; if they float, they most likely will not sprout.
Will old sweet pea seeds germinate?
Sweet pea seeds should remain viable for two to three years if properly stored. Harvesting sweet pea seeds is as simple as letting the pods mature on the vine until they’re ready to pick, letting them dry out, and storing.
Are seeds still good after 5 years?
Seeds that have been stored in a cool, dry place are generally viable for at least a year past the season for which they were packaged and may be good for up to five years.
Will old pea seeds grow?
Yes. Plants grown from expired seed packets will grow to produce healthy and fruitful harvests, just as their younger counterparts.
Do sweet peas reseed themselves?
Will sweet peas self-seed? Yes, in warmer climates. If you leave your sweet pea plants to turn to seed in fall, and allow those seed pods to pop open and disperse the seeds, it is absolutely possible for some to self-seed next year.
How do you store pea seeds for the winter?
Simply let the seeds sit out for several days until they’re dry. Dried pea seeds should be completely hard. Once they’re dry, you can store pea seeds in a plastic container (film canisters are great for this!), a paper bag or small envelopes until spring.
Should I soak my pea seeds before planting?
Yes, soaking the amount of pea seed you wish to plant in your garden in a cup of lukewarm water overnight will help the seed to absorb water and shorten the amount of time they need to germinate.
Are 20 year old seeds still good?
The truth is seeds don’t expire. They lose viability if stored improperly. While most seed companies will tell you to replace seeds every 2-3 years, those seeds will keep for decades and will germinate when planted if kept in a cool, dark, and dry place.
Can you use 10 year old seeds?
Yes! Even seeds that are thousands of years old can germinate. But proper pre-treatment is essential, and the older the seed, the less energy it has left in storage. Seeds from annual plants aren’t often designed to last many years, part of what makes the germination process so tricky.
Can you use seeds that are 2 years old?
There are no expiration dates on the packages…. A. Most flower and vegetable seeds will stay viable for at least a few years if they’re stored at a low enough humidity and temperature.
Do sweet pea seeds need darkness to germinate?
Darkness is required for germination, so be sure to cover the seed completely with soil. Thin to 1 seedling per hole when true leaves appear. Ensure that the plants do not dry out at any point in their life cycle.
Do sweet peas come back every year?
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) only live for a year, dying after setting seed. But don’t let this put you off as they are super easy to grow from seed. Perennial species such as Lathyrus latifolius come back year after year, but mostly lack fragrance and there are fewer to choose from.
Can I plant sweet peas in February?
Sow sweet pea seeds between October and April. For best results aim for late October/November or late February/March as temperatures and light levels are less than ideal in midwinter. Sweet peas can also be sown direct into the ground in April or May.
Can you sow sweet peas in January?
Sweet peas are annuals and can be sown in the spring. However, as with sowing the seeds in October, a January sowing enables the plants to develop strong roots, put on some early growth and provide larger plants to set out after the frosts.
Why won’t my pea seeds germinate?
ANSWER: Bear in mind that pea seeds germinate quickest in warm soil, so if it’s a cool spring, your seeds may just need a little more time to sprout. If the soil is 38 degrees Fahrenheit, expect your seeds to take 21 to 30 days to sprout, whereas in soil that is 65 to 70 degrees, they’ll sprout in 7 to 14 days.
Can seeds get too old?
Do seeds go bad with time, or can you plant them no matter how old they are? The answer is, yes, seeds will eventually go bad and no longer germinate, but it can take quite a long time. There is a good chance that those old seed packets will have a high percentage of seeds that will germinate just fine.