Holding a packet of tomato seeds that predates your grandparents feels like time travel in the palm of your hand — a chance to revive a flavor, a color, or a variety that hasn’t seen sunlight in a century. But as romantic as the idea is, the reality can be a little nerve‑wracking.
Seeds don’t last forever, and tomato seeds that are 100 years old are well past their expected viability window. Still, “well past” doesn’t mean “impossible.” With the right techniques, gardeners have successfully germinated seeds that are decades — and occasionally more than a century — old.
