[JRandomFreeper]

Personally, my experience has been that the packaged seeds are somewhat ok for the season they are produced for. I've had some that didn't start at all. Never started any that were over 2 years old.

I harvest seeds for stuff I use. The seeds I store also last about a year. It's a half life kind of thing.

First year is 75-80%, 2nd year is about 50%, much less on the third year.

I'm very pessemistic about storing seed. Especially commercial seed that's not from my garden that I processed.

/johnny

[Jack Hammer]

Thanks all; when I’m chowing down on nice fresh veggies after the apocalypse, I’ll remember your kindness.

[brityank]

WRT storing seed, this will give you the basics:

Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds
from Colorado State University.

Good luck.

[Chickensoup]

I follow Jackie Clay at Backwoods HOme and she states most seed lasts 10 years or so and she has started some 1200 year old seeds.