David Taylor
Cool Member
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 12:21 pm
Location: Crest California

Seed Storage

Well, I did it again. My eyes were bigger than my plots. I've got a ton of seed left over, some packages open, some not. Any suggestions on how to store them so they last until next season?

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Roger
Senior Member
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:52 am
Location: North Georgia

Seeds store pretty well as long as they are kept dry and semi-cool. Paper envelopes works best for me. I store them in envelopes, in a brown paper sack in my desk drawer. You can leave the seeds in the packet they originally came in, with a little piece of tape to keep the opened ones closed. Just don't store them in plastic bags, plastic can trap humidity & moisture, which can lead to fungus/mold. The main thing is to keep them dry.

Most seeds keep fine for one year. There might [or might not] be a little drop in viability next year, depending on how old the seed was to begin with, what type they are, and so on.

David Taylor
Cool Member
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 12:21 pm
Location: Crest California

Roger,

Thanks. Hopefully I will restrain myself and use what I have. Just a note on how bad I'm getting, though. I found some Baby Pumpkin seed, marked '2000'. They didn't sprout.

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JennyC
Green Thumb
Posts: 310
Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 2:25 pm
Location: NW Georgia

Roger,

Do you recommend against storing in the refrigerator? I did okay with pepper seeds stored that way, but I do worry about things getting too cool. We don't have central air, so I'd be afraid of a drawer getting way too hot in the summer. Right now I have my leftovers in papar envelopes in a seed tin, in the fridge.

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Roger
Senior Member
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:52 am
Location: North Georgia

Hi Jenny! The optimum temperature range for most seed storage is between 41 - 60 F [5 to 20 C] so a refrigerator works great if the seeds are within something to seal out the ambient humidity. A little reading I did suggests that at that temperature range and well protected from wet conditions, the viability of most seeds can be extended 2 to 4 times normal length.



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