I planted some dill this year just to use up some old seeds; they must have been as old as 15 yrs. To my surprise some came up and grew to 3 and 4 foot high plants. So, I thought I'd save some seed for next year, so found a spent brown flower head with what looked like hundreds of seeds on there.
On looking really closely at the seeds, I'm not sure if I just have 2 halves of the seed husks, and the seed itself has been spewn out, or if each teeny little flower puts out 2 seeds that are really flat. Meant to take a foto but left home without it! Is that what dill seed looks like, or do I just have what's left after the seed falls out? I didn't really pay a lot of attention to what the seeds I planted looked like.
Funny how the seeds/husks taste like caraway, not dill. thx
Yes, dill seed remains viable for a long time. Mine were good 12 years. If you collect mature seed; dry and store it properly in a dry, dark cool place ( refrigerator or freezer), they keep a long time. The seeds are tear shaped and flat. Depending on variety some of the seeds are larger than others. I usually wait until the seed heads are dry and collect them when I can easily rub them off. Make sure you collect them when they are dry and not wet from morning dew or rain or they can get moldy. I usually pack collected seeds with a dry piece of paper towel in a zip loc bag to absorb any condensation that might happen, label the seeds with what they are and the date of collection. The seeds can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It is best not to bring seeds in and out from cold to warm temperatures, so if you have a lot of seed, store them in smaller quantities in separate bags or if you have a bulk bag, only remove the seeds you need and leave the rest in the frig or freezer.
Different seeds have different storage lives. Most seeds can keep for at least 5 years in the refrigerator, but some seeds lose viability quickly. If you have older seed, you can check their viability by sprouting them on a paper towel and calculating the percent germination. 80% is good. 50% is o.k. anything lower than that, I probably would not keep it. Seeds stored where the temperature and humidity varies a lot will not last as long. Dessicants, rice, and paper towels can help keep seeds dry. Avoiding frequent temperature and humidity changes helps a lot.
This link shows how long seeds can usually be kept with no special care. In their original packaging in a cool room about 50 degrees and low humidity. You should test the viability of seeds under your conditions, as seed life can vary from place to place.
https://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog/se ... ity-chart/
Where I live it can be 90 degrees indoors and humidity is between 69%-100%, so I keep my seeds in the refrigerator.
For me, beans and dill have lasted over 10 years. Most vegetables are good for at least 5 years except
corn - loses viability quickly and germination rates drop significantly by the second year
Papaya seeds are good for a couple of years, but germination after that drops off
Lettuce and carrots held on better than I thought 3 years at least and some were still viable after 5
zucchini was not worth keeping a second season.
If your seeds are over 5 years and you have a lot of it, it is a good idea to do a germination test to see if it is still viable.
If you have seeds that are not labeled, it might be a good idea to toss them unless you recognize the seeds. I have planted weeds because I mistook them for something else. If you do use older seed you may have to plant more seeds to get enough to germinate. If you collect fresh seed, it usually is best to throw out the older ones. Seeds can take over a refrigerator over time. You can trade seeds locally, if it is allowed. Some places don't like trading seeds because some diseases can be transmitted from seed. If you have rare seeds you want to keep, it is important that you plant them out every couple of years to make sure you get a fresh supply to ensure you will have them for the future.
Different seeds have different storage lives. Most seeds can keep for at least 5 years in the refrigerator, but some seeds lose viability quickly. If you have older seed, you can check their viability by sprouting them on a paper towel and calculating the percent germination. 80% is good. 50% is o.k. anything lower than that, I probably would not keep it. Seeds stored where the temperature and humidity varies a lot will not last as long. Dessicants, rice, and paper towels can help keep seeds dry. Avoiding frequent temperature and humidity changes helps a lot.
This link shows how long seeds can usually be kept with no special care. In their original packaging in a cool room about 50 degrees and low humidity. You should test the viability of seeds under your conditions, as seed life can vary from place to place.
https://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog/se ... ity-chart/
Where I live it can be 90 degrees indoors and humidity is between 69%-100%, so I keep my seeds in the refrigerator.
For me, beans and dill have lasted over 10 years. Most vegetables are good for at least 5 years except
corn - loses viability quickly and germination rates drop significantly by the second year
Papaya seeds are good for a couple of years, but germination after that drops off
Lettuce and carrots held on better than I thought 3 years at least and some were still viable after 5
zucchini was not worth keeping a second season.
If your seeds are over 5 years and you have a lot of it, it is a good idea to do a germination test to see if it is still viable.
If you have seeds that are not labeled, it might be a good idea to toss them unless you recognize the seeds. I have planted weeds because I mistook them for something else. If you do use older seed you may have to plant more seeds to get enough to germinate. If you collect fresh seed, it usually is best to throw out the older ones. Seeds can take over a refrigerator over time. You can trade seeds locally, if it is allowed. Some places don't like trading seeds because some diseases can be transmitted from seed. If you have rare seeds you want to keep, it is important that you plant them out every couple of years to make sure you get a fresh supply to ensure you will have them for the future.
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MariaDigsGardening
- Full Member
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- Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:52 am
- Location: Michigan, United States (zone 4)
The dill seeds may taste like caraway because the two plants are in the same family (along with carrots, celery, fennel, parsley, Queen Anne's lace, etc). The flower heads, called umbels, do produce a ton of seeds. I'm not sure about each flower producing two seeds-- in my memory and in looking at this drawing, I think that each tiny flower produces a single, flat seed.
Regardless-- yes, you can save them. Same for parsley. I encourage these plants to reseed in my garden as beneficial "weeds."
Regardless-- yes, you can save them. Same for parsley. I encourage these plants to reseed in my garden as beneficial "weeds."
