As spring slowly points to the tip of its nose, sowing time has arrived! If you have any seeds left over from previous years, chances are they can still germinate. To be sure and not to waste your time, here are some tips to determine if your seeds are still good.
The water bowl test
This is the most famous trick: to separate the good seeds from the bad, simply soak them in a bowl filled with water. They will divorce immediately. The good seeds sink to the bottom of the tank, the bad seeds stay on the surface. All you have to do is arrange it!
Be careful though, some types of seeds, as well as seeds that are too small, tend to float no matter what. To make sure you don’t throw them away, leave them in the water overnight to make sure.
Germinate quickly
Another solution, which is more reliable but requires more patience, is to start the germination of the seeds on a soaked cotton swab or paper towel. To do this, place your seeds on cotton or very damp absorbent paper in an airtight container. After a few days you will see whether the germination has been activated or not. All you have to do is sow your sprouted seeds in a furrow or in a bucket. Remember not to bury them too deep underground. Just place them on the surface and barely cover them with soil.
As you have understood, in order to avoid wastage, you should not just rely on the best before date printed on the bag and perform these two simple tests so as not to throw away these promising seeds.