Quote:
Originally Posted by frogsleap farm
Federal and State seed laws are generally designed to protect seed buyers via clear truth in labeling guidelines. Although state seed certification guidelines (seldom used in tomatoes) may require some minimum germination standards for Certified Seed, there is no minimum germination requirement for seed in general, as long as it is properly labeled with "current" germination test results. With proper storage most seed can maintain excellent quality for more than a year after seed harvest, and this is a common and accepted practice in the industry. Germination is usually checked annually.
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Very true. I have tomato seed stored for my nursery operation that maintains a 90% germination rate for 4 years. There are some herbs however that have almost zero viability after 2 years.
If you are in the business of commercial sale of seed -- especially in a physical store, then the laws in some states must be taken seriously. When the package has expired, you can donate the seeds for the use of a school, etc. Some wholesale seed suppliers have a rebate program for retail and agricultural suppliers. They essentially take care of the tax write-off for you and apply a credit to your re-order.