Seed Storage?

[doxneed2c-me]

Fridge, freezer, dark closet? I want them to stay fertile as long as possible.

[EthnoGuy85]

I put them in a ziplock with some silica to suck up the moisture. In the fridge indefinitely........

[gtarman]

Wrapping/folding that ziplock baggie in tin foil and sealing the edges is also a good bet - that will keep them in complete darkness. I probably wouldn't put any seeds in the freezer - some would probably be okay, but I'm sure there are some that that would kill/damage.

Some seeds will actually become more fertile after being left in the fridge for a couple months due to the cold stratification effect. But it depends what the seeds are and how important/rare they are I guess. Most of mine do fine just sitting in a dark cupboard. They would last longer with refrigeration but I mean, they already last a fairly long time depending on the seeds/plant species.

[MikeyMagic]

Keeping seeds alive can be tricky.

Heat and moisture are the biggest threats to seed viability.

I keep most of my seeds in paper envelopes to allow for moisture evaporation and for the seed to breathe, stashing them in the coolest darkest place I can find.

"They would last longer with refrigeration but I mean, they already last a fairly long time depending on the seeds/plant species."

Up to 32,000 years apparently.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com.au/news/2012/02/120221-oldest-seeds-regenerated-plants-science/

[doxneed2c-me]

Would descicants be a good idea or would it dry the seeds out too much?

[mimzy]

Moisture and heat are seed killers. I generally keep my seeds in labelled zip lock bags in a glass jar. Store in a cool dry place.

[Auxin]

By default I put them in little labeled zip bags and pack those into tightly sealing glass jars to put in the fridge, remember to let them warm to room temp before opening. Because of that last bit, in planting or harvesting season I just keep 'active' jars in my larder... coolest room in the house.

I keep a backup jar in the fridge too, a desiccator containing little packets of desiccated seeds for long term storage.

Individual species have different seed half-lives and preferred storage criteria, the Seed Information Database at the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens is quite helpful.

[irabionist]

Yeah, I keep mine in a little bar fridge in plastic baggies. Although I've always wanted to get a little folder to organize them all nicely

[migraineur]

You can buy little bags of desiccant in bulk amounts on Ebay. They're great.

[Auxin]

Hobby stores will often have jars or sacks of loose desiccant, which can be recharged much easier than baggies.

Just ask for the flower dehydrating gear and dont dress in your psychedelic accoutrements, as they might remember you as a mushie head.

[Pie'oh'Pah]

For my long term storage I use the following:

In the fridge or freezer a Black 'Tight Vac' http://www.tightvac.com/ container and within that I use bags vacuum sealed from a Sunbeam FoodSaver.

In the freezer I mainly put seeds still in pods or items which require nicking before use.

The fridge has all my smaller and fragile seeds.

For short term I use desiccant and at least three normal baggies all kept within vacuum sealed containers.

Edited January 31, 2014 by Pie'oh'Pah

[Halcyon Daze]

I would have thought silica could be a bit too harsh for some seeds.

I use both snappy bags and plastic specimen jars.

I make sure my seeds are really really dry before I store them, even then I won't store them on a humid day as any humidity within the storage container could potentially encourage mold.

I simply add a small square of paper to each container, maybe 1 inch x 1 inch folded. The paper will suck excess moisture out of the air without desiccating the seeds too much. Even white printer paper will do this, and that's how I usually label my seed packets, I write the name on the paper and place inside the bag with the seeds. Newspaper is known to be more absorbent and is more able to suck moisture out of the air, so I add xtra newspaper for big loads of seed.

I've been employing this method for years. I store the snappys and specimen bottles inside a few clear plastic containers which are all stacked inside a large plastic storage container, which is stored inside a dark wooden wardrobe.

No dramas what so ever

Not all seeds can be stored for prolonged periods though, many must be sown fresh and eventually lose viability no matter what you do.

[Auxin]

Other seeds can also be a drying tactic.

Some rice or corn seeds, etc. (rice is generally preferred as it absorbs moisture fast) will act as a buffer against any moisture that creeps in.