What's the best way to store seeds?

What's the best way to store seeds? Do you use anything to insure that moisture doesn't get to your stored seeds?

I'm new at saving seeds so any info or links would be greatly appreciated!! :)

Thanks!
Glenda

Cool and dry is best. Dry them on a paper towel in a shallow dish for a week or two.
Then package them in dry containers, bags or envelopes.

Our climate is very dry so this works up here.
Some damp climates may require that you use silica gel plugs to keep the seeds dry.

Seeds will go moldy if stored when damp. Or they will begin premature germination.

Good luck!

Caroline

This message was edited Sep 3, 2009 10:13 AM

If you worry about moisture, craft stores sell "silica gel" for drying flowers. The stuff I bought is so finely powdered that it sifts right through an organza bag, so I put some into an open plastic baggie, held open with a fan-folded piece of paper.

That would need to go into a sealed jar or bag with the seeds, or it will try to dessicate the whole atmosphere in your house, and become exhausted.

BTW: humidity CAN migrate slowly through the thin plastic and zip-lock feature of baggies.
Also, the vegetable crisper drawer has HIGHER humidity than the rest of the fridge, not lower.

You can regenerate "silica gel" by putting it in the oven at high temperature.

I bought some humidity-indicating cards so i could tell when the dessicant was exhausted. I think that it is better to store seeds in "dry" air, like closer to 10% RH than 30% RH. But many people have had no problems storing seeds in closets or garages!

Corey

I think I messed up, so I'll try again. Is it safe to store seed in a chest-type freezer?

That might depend on the seed type. Tropical plant seeds might be destroyed by freezing.

A chest type freezer is a lot colder than a regular freezer. You need to have the moisture down to a certain percentage to store seeds in a freezer. Too wet and they will burst. Too dry and they might not ever germinate. I have stored Passiflora seeds in a regular freezer and they were fine, but haven't tried it with chest or with other tropicals. How long are you wanting to store the seeds for? I store most of mine at room temp and they stay good for about 3 years (or more, depending on the seed).

before I got a digital always had lots of 35mm film capsules but in this age of digitals I have switched to medicine bottles and any food stuff jars that my wife saves for me and never forget the wonderfull COOL WHIP cartons ,mostly I just save from Fall till spring...