One of the many great things about sweet peas is how well their seeds hold up. With proper storage your seeds can last 5+ years. There are some growers who have been growing sweet peas for decades and have even had seeds germinate great after 10 years!
To get the longest life from your seeds, there are a few important tips. The most important tip is starting with good seed. We will be working on writing an article this fall about harvesting/saving your own seed and what to look for. The next most important tip is storage.
Seed storage is very important. You can have great seeds but storing them wrong will kill their germination rate. You want an air tight container or good quality freezer bags to keep them dry. We recommend double bagging if using plastic freezer bags. Seeds placed in the freezer at a consistent temperature will last the longest. These seeds can show high germination rates for for at least 3-5 years. We recommend planting them within 5 years for best results. Seeds can also be stored in the refrigerator, but it's best to plant those within 2 years or you may notice slightly poorer germination rates. Keep in mind that temperature fluctuations can have a huge impact on your seed germination and is the main factor in decreased germination!
Knowing when your seeds are harvested and how your seed grower stored them is important in knowing how long you can store your seeds. At Back to Dirt Farm we store all of our seeds in the freezer until they are shipped. Once we pull your seeds from the freezer we ship them out the same day. Just pop them back into the freezer, or refrigerator if you are planting soon, and they will give you great germination in upcoming season. We guarantee it!
We try to grow as many varieties each season as possible to give you the freshest seeds. However, in order to offer more varieties to everyone, we do not grow every variety each year. Seeds coming from us will either have been harvested this season, or the previous season. We never sell seeds that have been in storage for more than 1 1/2 years to ensure that you still have plenty of time to plant them. We are updating our website to include the harvest date, so that you can feel assured you are getting the seeds you need.