Propagation: saving seeds for next year - what do you save them in?, 0 by heathrjoy

heathrjoy wrote:
Just found this thread.

I store my seeds in mini plastic zip bags. They are made for storing beads. You can get them at Wal-Mart in the craft dept. for about $1 for 100.

Be SURE your seeds are dry before putting them into the plastic envies or they will get moldy. I bring my seeds in, usually in a pot's drainage saucer, and let them dry out on the table or on top of the fridge for a week or so. Just put them somewhere that the kitty won't jump into them! lol.

I use little white sticky labels on the envies. Write them out before putting them on. Use a pen that won't run or smear, even if it gets wet.

Then I have a photo box I got at Big Lots that all my seeds go into. It's basically a big, pretty shoe box. It has dividers I made out of card stock (think coupon box). Each divider has two holes punched in the bottom of it. The holes have small dowels running through them that are cut to fit tightly into the bottom of the box. Then I put "flags" on the dividers to alphabetize them. Behind each divider is a paper envelope with "A", "B", "C", etc. written on it. The corresponding seeds are put in those envies so they are easy to find. I organize my seeds by common name just because that's easier for me.

It sounds like a lot of set up, but it really wasn't. It was worth it to have a very organized seed box. I can find any seed whenever I need it, as long as I put it away where it belongs!

Some folks don't like the plastic envies, but I like to be able to see how many seeds are in the envies and what condition they are in without opening the envie and having to tape or glue it shut. No seeds are lost to tape or glue.

Also, when writing info on labels for seeds I've found it's a good idea to keep the following info when possible...
Common name (Forget-Me-Not)
Botanical name (Myosotis Sylvatica)
Cultivar name (Victoria Rose)
Bloom/Foliage color
Year harvested
Trader received from
Sowing info (depth, cold treatment, etc)
Plant height, spacing
Light requirements

Here's some pics, in this pic a piece of paper was typed out and put in the plastic envie rather than using a label, but you get the idea.

Hope this helps y'all set up a nice organized system for your seeds. I've been using mine for a couple of years now and it's well worth the hour or so it takes to set it up.
Heather