will old grass seeds grow?

HELP!
We have finally managed to prepare a large area for our garden and we sowed grass seeds on it almost 2 weeks ago. We promised the kids that their new garden would be fabulous by next summer (they've been playing on a 'building site' for the last 2 years), but the seeds we used were over two years old (kept in the right conditions)and so far, not one single shoot has appeared. We know very little about gardening but we really thought we might have seen some signs of life in 2 weeks. Are the seeds too old? Are the kids going to be playing in mud for the spring?
County: Northumberland

 

Seeds will deteriorate over time, but even after two years you should still have quite a lot of live seed - if, as you say it has been stored correctly.

I think you might be hoping for too much too soon - 2 weeks isn't that long to wait, depending on the type of seed you sowed. Rye grass tends to germinate faster, but fescuses and bents usually take 10-14 days even in optimal conditions, so I wouldn't give up hope just yet. You'll probably look out one morning and see a green haze - very satisfying

 

Thanks Will - thats very reassuring! I'll keep you posted!

 

In a garden, nothing much happens in a hurry, Shents!
Well, nothing worth having, anyway!

 

hooray they've started to sprout!