Today I’m sorting through old seeds. (Spoiler: I don’t throw any seeds away, however old they may be). I have a seed viability chart handy and sort the seeds into two piles.
One is much larger than the other because I’m eternally optimistic. This is the “worth trying” pile. The other is the “probably hopeless but I’ll scatter them somewhere in the spring” pile. As in, the chart says they’re viable for one or two years and these are 8 years old…some may say I’m throwing them away, but I’m giving them to a good home, may they rest in peace if they don’t sprout.
A few at a time (because I have limited space to work with), I’ll wrap a few of the worth trying seeds in damp paper towels, and place the towels into carefully labeled plastic ziplock bags, and set them in a warm place. This is how I decide what to grow next spring. I may supplement with a nursery plant or two (or so I tell myself), but that is planned with seed catalog viewing…after the viability tests are over.
Seed catalog browsing will be my January “gardening”. I buy all my seeds from a local farm, just a few miles from my home. My favorite nursery just a few miles further away.
Seed Viability Chart: https://homesteadandchill.com/old-seeds-viability-chart/