Will old seeds still grow? Try a ten-seed check
Before giving an old packet a whole pot, test a small sample. Ten seeds offer an initial clue; this sheet helps you record what happens without mistaking a root for a guaranteed crop.
What you will check
You will record how many seeds in a sample produce a root under particular conditions. This is an informal home check: it does not certify the whole packet or predict how many plants will reach maturity.
Use it as a starting point for ordinary vegetable seeds, such as beans or tomatoes, whose instructions allow germination without special treatment. Check the packet or a guide for the species: some seeds need light, darkness, a cold period or treatment of the seed coat. One recipe does not suit them all. If the instructions require light for germination, use a species-specific method instead of covering the seeds with folded paper.
Prepare a small sample
- You need ten untreated seeds, a paper towel, water, a clear resealable bag, a marker and the sheet or a notebook. Keep the packet for the species, variety and growing conditions.
- Gently mix the packet contents and take ten seeds without choosing only the largest or best-looking ones. If very few remain, consider whether you would rather sow them: a test uses part of your supply.
- Use one species and one packet per bag. Label it with the variety and start date. These seeds are for observation, not eating.
Set up the test
Wet the paper thoroughly and let excess water drain: it should be damp, with no pooled water in the bag. Space the ten seeds in two rows of five, leaving room for roots. For seeds that do not need light to germinate, fold the paper to keep it in contact with the seeds. Put it in the bag and close it to reduce moisture loss.
Keep the bag at the temperature recommended for those seeds. Avoid direct sun and radiators: a bag can overheat. Copy the recommended temperature, expected number of days and planned final check date onto the sheet; do not give every species a seven-day deadline.
Check daily; count each seed only once
Open the bag to check the paper. If it starts to dry, add a few drops; do not leave it waterlogged. Look without tugging on the seeds or roots. Record any drying, overheating or mould: the conditions may have affected the test.
Keep the same order, left to right and top to bottom. When you first see a root emerge from a seed, enter the date in its box. A swollen seed or split coat without a visible root does not count yet. Do not add yesterday’s roots to the total again tomorrow.
The sheet has ten positions and ten matching rows. If roots become tangled, do not tear one away to reposition a seed. Record what you can see and avoid moving the arrangement.
Seven roots do not guarantee seven plants
If you have recorded a first root for seven of the ten seeds by the end of the appropriate period, the calculation is 7 ÷ 10 × 100 = 70%. Describe it as: “7 out of 10 seeds showed a root in this test.” Count the dated rows even if a root later deteriorates; record that problem separately.
Each seed changes the percentage by ten percentage points. Ten is a small sample: a second sample may give a different result. A visible root also does not show whether the seedling will develop normally or become established in soil.
Example record: on Monday roots appear at positions 2 and 5; on Tuesday at 1, 4 and 8; on Wednesday at 3 and 10. That is 2 + 3 + 2 = 7 different seeds, rather than repeatedly adding all the roots present each day.
Choose the next step
- Plenty of roots appear: try a small sowing and follow its progress. The result does not promise the same percentage of established plants in soil.
- Few or no roots appear: check that the appropriate period has passed, then review temperature, moisture, light and any required pretreatment. Do not declare the whole packet dead from this test alone.
- You need a firmer decision and have enough seeds: repeat with a larger sample, such as at least twenty chosen at random. A larger sample represents the packet better, but cannot fix unsuitable conditions.
- Widespread mould, an unpleasant smell or dry paper: record the problem and consider repeating under corrected conditions. Do not combine that result with a trouble-free test or eat the seeds.
No printer needed
Draw two rows of five boxes numbered 1 to 10. Under them, make one row per seed for the first-root date and a note. Add the species, start date, conditions, expected period and final count. The PDF provides space for those same observations.
The seven-root example is invented to explain the count. Coru has not carried out a biological trial here or measured the outcome of your packet.
A4 sheet: ten seeds, one observation
One page with ten positions, a first-root date for each seed, conditions and notes. Print at a comfortable size for handwriting.