Wait...you left Florida to move to Misery/Missouri??? Good luck though, hope you have good luck with the older seeds germinating.
Jerry

The first Tomatopalooza was, and still is, in NC, co hosts Craig LeHoullier my best tomato friend of now several decades, and Lee Newman.

So you drove up from FL to NC in the Raleigh area?

Seeds can be viable for much longer than you indicate.

my best wakeup was of seeds of Septemeber Dawn that were 22 yo and when the precursor to the USDA stations was in Cheyenne WY and all seeds moved, and germination checked, there was at least one variety that was 50 yo that germinated.

I don't know how many seeds you have, but here's what I do to wake up old seeds.

Soak the seeds in water for maybe two days, add a pinch of blue stuff, MG or Peters, or a few drops of concentrated Fish or seaweed emulsion, stir often to get the seeds to sink since old seeds are dehydrated. Those items have a high concentration of nitrate which is known to be involved in seed germination.

Sow the seeds and water when needed with water to which the above additions had been made, and sit back and wait. It may take several weeks, I've waited close to a month, actually more than a month when I got Magnus up, before seeing anything, and some times there will be no germination.

A lot depends on how the seeds have been stored over the years.

The ones in WY were just stored in a filing cabinet at ambient temps, and same with my September Dawn seeds which were sent to me.

Here's hoping you do get good germination.

Carolyn

After my Dad died in 2010, I was cleaning out his freezer and found several different variety's of OP tomato seed that Mom had saved in the freezer. I know she saved them because of the handwriting. She died in 1998 and was disabled for 5 years prior to that.

I had 80 + % germination with those seed. I wish you luck and I believe you will have good luck with that young seed!

Carolyn,
Yes I drove up to NC just for the tomato fest. I was so into tomatoes, I loved the fresh flavors! I have so much garden space compared to what I had in Fla.

I have the seeds soaked and into soil, so I will let folks know what I get. I got some new Mexico Midgets from Craig last year, but they are somewhere in my piles of stuff, lol.

I have some Italian peppers that are 5 yrs old that took, going to narrow down so that I only have a few that I like.

Cheri