Don't claim to be an expert, but I wouldn't hesitate to use them. Nothing to lose. I've used lots of seed from previous years and have luck on most of them. I would test the bunching onions for germination first. There was an article recently that stated onion seed didn't last very long. I have a book somewhere that gives the viability of different vegetables. I'll have to dig it out. I know some seeds seem to be good forever. By the way, what was the highest heat you think your cookie tin was exposed to?

Why not keep them and use them? You just need to turn over your garden to realize that old weed seeds that have been sitting around in the cold, dark soil for who knows how long can sprout!

I used lots of old seeds last year that my sister gave to me. I don't know how much older than one year they were, but they were older, and all grew well.

If you are really concerned, you should place a couple/few of each seed on a damp paper-towel in a plastic bag to test their germination before planting them out.

Your seeds wouldn't be considered old at all. Everything on your list with the exception of the onions has a very long seed life - years. Onion germination rates fall off quite rapidly after 12-18 months.

Many gardeners regularly use the same seed packages for several years. In fact much of the seed one buys that is labeled "Packed for 2010" is already 2-3 years old. ;)

After 5-7 years the germination rate of some of the others on your list begins to decline but there are records of seeds at old as 20 years germinating just fine.

Dave

Thanks for your expert help. I have kept perennial seeds from year to year and found them to be viable but I assumed that vegetable seeds, being tender annuals/tropicals in this zone might have been different. And I wish I wasn't aware of the viability of those weed seeds!!

Bcskye, the seeds have been in the cookie tin over the fall & winter, stored in my unheated basement along with my perennial seeds so they should be O.K. It never gets more than about 15 degrees down there.

Paully, the reason for posting this question here is that I don't have time to test their germination individually. I am a winter-sower and really far behind so I'm pressed for time.

Thanks again, and happy gardening.

I couldn't have said it better that Dave did. His information is born out precisely by my experience over the past several years.

If in doubt about the viability of any seed, do a germination test. Put a few seeds in a damp coffee filter or paper towel. Place that in a plastic bag on top of your fridge, where the temperature stays warm. Check occasionally to see how many seeds germinated.

Jim