Seed information tables to accompany Seed Saving article.

Table 1.  Different seed storing environmental conditions for optimum germination of various species.

Category 1	Category 2	Category 3
Majority of seeds	Malus spp (apple)	Trillium
especially annuals,	Fraxinus spp (ash)	Wild ginger
biennuals, herbs,	Crataegus spp (hawthorn)	Panax spp (ginseng)
perennial alpine	Tilia (linden, basswood)	Cornus spp
plants and	Robinia (black locust)	chestnut
vegetables	Magnolia spp	Aconite (monkshood)
	Pyrus (pear)	Liriodendron (tulip tree)
	Prunus spp (cherry, plum, peach)	Corylus spp (hazelnut)
	Rosa spp (roses)	Angelica
	Delphinium	All aquatic plants

Category 1: germination not impaired when seeds dried.

Category 2: germinates best when seeds sown fresh but germination takes longer or is poor after seed is dried.

Category 3: seeds only viable when sown fresh or moist cold stored.  Seeds dead when dry.  Seed should not or cannot be dried due to the immaturity of the embryos.  The embryos mature later even if the fallen seed appears ripe.

Table 2.  Viability of various dried plant seeds stored under ideal household conditions*.

Days	Years: 1	Years: 2	Years: 3	Years: 4	Years: 5
willow	parsley	corn	asparagus	beets	brassica
	parsnip	dandelion	bean	chard	cardoon
	potato	okra	carrot	fennel	celery
	onion	pepper	chervil	mustard	chicory
	salsify	black salsify	cow pea	rutabaga	cress
	sea kale		leeks	squash	cuke
		hornbeam	radish	sunflower	eggplant
	beech	linden	sorrel	tomatoes	lettuce
	fir	elder		turnips	muskmelon
	hazelnut	maple	pine	watermelon	peas
	oak		robinia		spinach
	walnut	begonia	holly
		cyclamen			lupine
	most if not	nicotiana	aquilegia
	all oil	viola	nasturtium
	seeds	wallflower	papaver

*  In a dark dry cool basement or storage area with desicant added to each seed container

A few odds and ends

            Oats: 5-9 years, Barley: 8-10 years, Wheat: 15-16 years, Sweet peas: 10 years

A germination test of 50 year old herbarium stored seeds saw the emergence of 4 kinds of legumes, 1 kind of labiatea, 1 malvacea, and 1 nyphaeacea.  87 year old Cassia seeds sprouted.  Ancient beans discovered in an Aztec tomb sprouted in the lab.  A thousand year old Indian lotus seed found in a sealed earthenware container germinated without a hitch.

Didn't find what you're looking for?  Check out these potentially helpful web resources! 

www.gardenguides.com  (more seed saving information)

www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/homegardseedsaver.htm  (tips for saving specific veggie seed)

www.seedsave.org  (the seed savers exchange)

www.seedsancturary.com (seed and plant sanctuary for Canada)