The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word OVERRIPE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
O
V
E
R
R
I
P
E
More clues leading to the result OVERRIPE
- Old dignitary conceals slip, fifth of harvest being past its best
- I reprove wrinkly, as going to seed
- Finished Scripture and gym? I’m off
- Left by pier, bananas past sell-by date?
- Old, spoiling river sports, being past one’s best?
- Concluded low grade copy in the middle, is past its best
- Finished training after Irish backs, past their best?
- Near-rotten doctor I reprove
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "going to seed" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case going to seed = overripe.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does OVERRIPE mean?
OVERRIPE adjective- Excessively ripe; spoiled; gone bad.