They should be fine -- I get a few years of out seed packets, I don't buy fresh every year, it's not necessary IME. Sheesh, the basil seed I sowed less than a week ago is germinating like gangbusters, and that seed was from 2018.

I suggest soaking the pea seeds for about a day prior to sowing -- it speeds germination.

Last years' pea seeds should should still be fine. Generally they say pea seeds are good 2-3 years. So they seeds you bought last year should be under two years.

Sprouting the seeds indoors then planting speeds things up, using the baggie method. You really should have planted them by now. Peas can handle cold pretty well, you don't need to wait until freezes stop.

I got you beat Mxk3. I sowed basil seed from like 2013-2014 and it germinated in less than 48 hours to boot! The tomatillos from the same year are still a no show though.

My seeds haven’t always been the most well cared for either. When I lived in Phoenix they were on a spare bedroom and my house got to at least 99 degrees on a regular basis (never figured out if that was the actual temp in there or that was just where the thermometer on the thermostat topped out at). Then after moving back to northern Colorado, they spent a winter in an unheated metal out building where they surely went through more than a few freeze-thaw cycles.

I still get pretty solid germination on pretty much everything and some of that stuff is getting pretty close to the ten-year mark (I planted chard seed from 2012 yesterday, we will see how that goes...).

Thank you to everyone who replied. Yes, it would have been better to have planted peas by now, but in addition to waiting for new seed (different variety) the site is a new raised bed that wasn't ready. I got supplies yesterday with curbside pickup at a local garden center that has been in business here for 140 years.

Well, that's good to know Zach -- I was thinking I should probably order more basil seeds next year but there's something a hundred left in the package I already have LOL!

I was actually shocked by the speed the basil germinated and how well it germinated. I was pretty heavy handed with the amount of seed I used and most of it popped up. The tomatillos did well, too.

the white chard from 2012 was a failure though. Luck for me the grocery store had a small burpee rack with some fordhook giant seeds so I’ll try again with fresh seed.

It's now three weeks since I planted the pea seed remaining from last year. I had all but concluded that the seed wasn't viable, but as of yesterday a few shoots are above the soil. As soon as I got the seeds in the ground the weather turned, and stayed, colder than usual for this time of year.

At long last, Johnny's has shipped the bulk of my seed order. This is in the nick of time, because the only bean seed I have is from 2017. Some items in the order still haven't shipped, but the important one of those is lettuce seed for late planting.

I've planted all sorts of old seeds ... they tend to have slightly lower or slower germination, so I just plant extra seeds and thin out extra plants if they do all grow. My theory is: what's the alternative? Throw them out? They're definitely not going to grow for me that way. Glad to hear that your order is arriving! I'd try the old seeds, too, though, if you have space.

Last year I had good germination with most of my leftover seeds, but zero with lettuce. I don't know whether the lettuce seed was no longer viable or whether something else was going on. I don't have enough plantable space to try everything -- all my vegetable and annual flower gardening is in raised beds, owing to thin, rocky soil.