Can onion seeds stored from the previous year still be used?

Sometimes you buy too many seeds and can't plant them all that year, so you want to store them until the next year to plant. For example, a netizen asked: for onions, the shelf life is generally only one year, and the germination rate in the second year will drop a lot, but it is not absolutely impossible for them to germinate, just that the germination rate will be lower, and the growth will be weaker. Below is a reference for the storage time of other vegetable seeds!

Onion seeds, Chinese chive seeds: must use new seeds from the current year; the seedling emergence rate of seeds from the previous year is greatly reduced. New seeds have wrinkles on the surface, a clearly dark side, and a luster, with an obvious small white spot on the hilum. Seeds stored for more than 1 year lose their luster on the surface, develop a layer of white frost, and the hilum changes from white to yellow. Such seeds have a low germination rate and weak growth, and are not suitable for use.

Tomato seeds: generally can be stored for 3-4 years, not exceeding 4 years, otherwise the germination rate will decrease. New seeds have many small hairs and a tomato smell; old seeds have few hairs or the hairs have fallen off, and the smell becomes weaker.

Pepper seeds: cannot exceed 3 years. New seeds have a strong spicy taste and the seed color is golden yellow. The germination rate of new seeds is about 90%, about 80% after 2 years of storage, and will drop below 50% after 3 years.

Celery seeds: can be stored for 5 years; newly harvested seeds from the current year cannot be used and must be stored for 1 year before use.

Cilantro seeds: must be stored for 1 year before use, but the storage time should not exceed 3 years. New cilantro seeds have a strong smell, while old seeds have a weaker smell. When sowing cilantro seeds, the seeds should be crushed as shown in the picture below, which makes them easier to germinate!

Eggplant seeds: can be stored slightly longer; generally the seeds can be used within 5 years. New seeds have a shiny outer coat and are creamy yellow, while old seeds have a dark red surface and no luster.

Chinese cabbage seeds, radish seeds, cabbage seeds: the general storage life is 3-4 years; over 4 years, the germination rate decreases significantly. New seeds have a smooth surface, while old seeds have a dull surface. After pressing the seeds open with a fingernail, new seeds form a flat cake without breaking apart, while old seeds break easily and the seed coat falls off easily.

Cucumber seeds: generally can be stored for 3-4 years. Fresh cucumber seeds are white or milky white on the surface, smooth, and the fine hairs at the tip of the seed are relatively sharp, while old seeds show yellow spots on the surface, lose their luster, and the fine hairs at the tip of the seed also become blunt.