Parsnip seeds

Lyn

I’ve just received my parsnip seeds for this year. My question is, I’ve always been led to believe you need to buy fresh every year, and always have, but these seeds say sow by 2021,  does anyone keep them from year to year? 

If not, would anyone like to share this packet with me, I won’t need 1500 parsnips. 
They are Guernsey variety, never tried before but thought I’d have a change. 

cornelly

I sow over two years whatever is left from this year will be sown next year, I believe the sow by date on the packet means they can be left in an unopened packet for that length of time

Lyn

That’s good to know, thank you. 

Nanny Beach

My "other" weekly garden mag says new seeds every year, Terry Walton says lay them on kitche paper, cover with another layer, spray with tepid tap water, wait till they have "sprouted" about to try my first this year, fingers crossed.

Lyn

That’s that’s a good idea @Nanny Beach. I’ll do that next year just to make sure. 

Zoomer44

I've just sown some which say sow by 2022 and have a new packet of seeds from a magazine purchased last week which say sow by 2023.

The germination rate does go down the longer you keep some seeds but with 1000 seeds or more in packets does it really matter, I don't propose to plant out more than 20 or 30 at the most in any one year