Seed storage ideas

I thought I would start a new thread for ideas on seed storage. This is for all kinds of seeds, not just MGs.

I don't have space in my refridgerator for the seeds I collect as well as those I receive in trades. But my house is usually kept relatively cool. (I hope that will work for the seeds I have!) I usually don't keep seeds more than a year or so because I either trade (my own) and grow the rest in my garden beds in Spring and Summer.

My seeds are either in my cool, dark closet or closed up in my computer cabinet on the bottom shelf. I keep the seeds I collect in baggies which are then filed in small bins with lids. I use bright neon colored index cards to index them. Seed packets I either get as trades or purchase go into a 3-ring binder of which I have plastic baseball card sleeves that I slide the packets down into. I put seed packets back-to-back in the sleeves.

Here is my bins.

And here is one of 2 binders I have. This one contains seeds (not MGs) that I received in trades over the past 3-6 months. I will be planting these soon for Spring germination. Some grow, some don't. I figure that it is all trial and error to see what will germinate, grow, and survive in hot and humid Florida. :-) If they don't make it, then I will know not to trade or buy those seeds again. If they do, I won't need to purchase anymore seeds and can use seeds I collect from these plants for future trades! :-)

This system works well for me. I don't keep records on any of them. I guess I should. But I do have my garden blog here on DG to reference for photos. I guess I should have something like that on my computer for years down the road in case DG removes that option or something else happens...

So ... tell me how you store and keep track of your seeds? I wanna know your system if you have one. And if you don't, maybe this thread will give you some ideas!

This message was edited Dec 28, 2008 6:50 PM

wow Becky. That is a great system.
I love the Binder idea and might steal it.

I keep mine in a huge tackle box.
Lotsa compartments of all sizes.
Closes up nice and tight too.

Steal away, Shawna! I stole that idea myself from another DGer! LOL! It works great to view and find seeds.

I have to use the small bins for the seeds I collect from my own plants because I often get a LOT of seeds from some of those that I grow. I've got 3" x 5" baggies full of seeds of some vines. The bins work great like your tackle box idea. I have them filed alphabetically so I can easily and quickly find them for trades. When I get down to just 5 or so seeds left, I don't trade that cultivar anymore (unless I grow more vines to get more seeds). I always keep the last 5 for myself for future grow-outs. But the rest I eventually trade away! I can't grow them all anyway, so that is why I love to do trades and to share the extra seeds! :-)

This message was edited Dec 29, 2008 9:00 AM

today I put all my seed packets in a very large shadow box, except for my home growns which are in bags with names on them.. I am in the process of deciding on a binder or a Journal I like your idea Becky, I am way too unorganized and have way too many seeds from my own back yard laying around in the piles i threw them down in ( no telling what the container of that moment was) , I usually referr to my "ordered flowers" folder online, and keep my trade seeds with the rest of my seeds.. gosh, I found seeds in the garage in three different spots.. :P~ Help!

I have a system I do when I collect seeds.

I immediately put seeds and seed pods into labeled paper envelopes for drying (just in case - to prevent mold and mildew from forming). Then I sort the seeds from all the pods. I soak each cultivar in mild bleach water (to prevent the spread of fungus or any other nasty transmitable issue). Next, I move them into plastic cups which I cover the top with sheer tulle secured with a rubber band to dry out completely. (This works well for good air flow for complete drying.) I label with the name of the cultivar each holding area. And when I am sure they are completely dry, then they go into plastic ziploc baggies which are also labeled. It's a multi-step collection that I do. A bit of work, but I learned the hard way a couple years ago about mold forming on damp seeds and had to throw out a lot of seeds. Came up with this new method and it has worked really well. But a lot of work and time to do it. I say a LOT, but not really that bad. It just takes effort. LOL!

This message was edited Dec 28, 2008 8:33 PM

i like that idea, last year i had mld.. this year I got the little tull wedding gift bags and put the pods in them, and use envelopes also for drying purposes.. LOL .. since I have alot of heads I collect I also use paper plates folded into a "diaper" cup .. this is really good for the teeny tiny seeds from things like prim rose and laurentias.. the mgs are the easiest for me, what is hard is remembering which pocket went the blue and which went the pink .. this year I resolve to improve on that..

Those tulle wedding bags are great!!!

I take the envelopes outside with me when I am collecting seeds. I just put them in their labeled envie as I collect each seed and pod. Otherwise, I'd make a mess of keeping them sorted and labeled correctly. I can't even remember what I have in my hands much less my pockets as I am bringing them inside the house... short memory or attention span or something ... LOL! So the envies come outside with me to do the job efficiently and accurately. :-)

That is what I plan on doing this year as well.. no seed plucking without an enveloper asnd a pen that has ink in it and some tape...I was rearranging today and last ight down here and found all kinds of seed pods laying about.. some I know are lobata, but the most of them were stray pods from the pots I brought in I am sure.. good grief..

Yeah... collecting, sorting, and IDing seeds can sure be a pain!

Wonderful Becky.. I really like the two stage storage drying box.. I too lost a bunch of what I'd thought of as pefectly dry seeds/seed pods only to find them heavily molded... but perhaps some are viable.. we'll see...
OH.. you just think you'd like to see how mine are stored... it might set the science/art of it back decades.. I'll spare you that..... to that end.. I was cleanning out a storage room I have.. mostly tools and bit's of left over items to be used on the next project..back behind on one of the wire shelves.. two large shopping bags...filled with dahalia bulbs.. it must have been 4 or 5 years ago..from the names.. I do recall now one year wondering why I had nothing to put out.. now I know.
thanks for the positive storage inspiration. though.. and the seeds again

Becky Thanks a lot !
Dany

For those of you that grow other plants, which I do ...

I also use those paper gift bags that stand up nicely. I throw the dried (or almost dried) flower heads in individual bags labeled for each species and cultivar. This holding method allows them to dry out completely! I have seed heads that are very large and need additional drying time. And to help run the bugs out of them. LOL!

Some of the seed heads have sharp points as does Tithonia and Lion's Tail flower heads. After drying for a couple of weeks, I shake the bags to loosen the seeds which fall to the bottom of the bag. When the stores used to use paper grocery bags, those were absolutely perfect because you could fold them down and tape them and then shake, shake, shake the seeds out! LOL! You can still buy the white/tan lunch bags in bulk. Which I also do. I can mark right on the bag what seeds are in it, fold it over and tape or staple the top closed and then shake once the seeds are dried. Works beautifully!! I could do that with the MGs too, but I treat those seeds much better! LOL!

I grew poppies last year and took a lunch bag outside and shook the flowerheads into the bags to collect the seeds! Too many seeds were falling to the ground when I snipped the spent flowerheads to drop into a bag. So, there are lots of ways to get creative when collecting, drying, and storing seeds! :-) I also put the date (season/year) on my seed labels so I know when they were collected.

This message was edited Dec 29, 2008 8:43 AM

I use an alphabetical accordian file and organize the seeds by cultivar name or species name. Your idea Becky would cut down on time spent searching in the alphabetized grab bag!

I use a comblination of that idea with the bag, for collecting and cleaning and drying seeds; i use terra cotta pot bottoms. Especial on Mg or, Zinnias~ you can just set the seeds and pods down and when dry, rub off & then blow away the husk of the seedwith a light breath. The Zinnia need more sorting (!~) but its a good open surface with raised sides for protection against losing them while you dig through. Storing is a great idea, especiallusing color dividers, you can set up any number of system that way my mind is Boggling with possiblilties~!
thanks Becky~no more laying in piles on shelves~!
:D

Joseph - I never thought about using an alphabetical accordian file for seeds. Another great idea!

The plastic bins I get at Wally World for cheap. They come with lids and are stackable. I have four of the smaller ones that I keep my own collected seeds in. One of those bin has the goodies in it for tagging and bagging for trades and sharing. I keep my smaller ziploc seed bags in there with labels, notecards, printed instructions, etc. for all my trades.

The larger bin with the cups for drying seeds also came from the big box store for relatively cheap. I got a lid with it too, but rarely use the lid on the bin for obvious reasons. But I do use the large lid for cleaning and sorting my seeds. It's light weight and fits nicely on the table or on my lap and has a lip, too, to prevent the seeds from rolling off. Great minds think alike Darren! LOL!

I'm one of those folks that go into a store with an idea or a need and look at everything ... and then I start thinking "outside of the box". :-) Sort of like those stackable concrete sprinkler donuts. Amazing what you can come up with using a little imagination! :-)

My wife has a web site for counted cross stitch, and so she has literally hundreds and hundreds of embroidery floss to keep filed, so she doesnt have to hunt for it.
I inherited a few of her boxes, which I use for seeds
.

The things I like are
1 easy access
2 speedy
3 every zip lock has a reinforced self stick hanger with label tab
4 very to file and refile and return
Don't like
1 hard to get on the west coast USA
2 the cat can turn it upside down easily and they all slide out of the box

Frank

Frank - I would love to see a photo of the boxes and how you are using them. (Hint, hint ...)

Hi Becky

Lovely storage ideas! Thanks for the pics :)

I have my own dorm size refrigerator for my seeds. I store my seeds in bins similar to yours and then keep them in my fridge in the den. It still isn't enough room though...one can usually find seeds in my fridge in the kitchen and also in the fridge in the basement where we keep the beverages.

One can never have too many seeds!

Sandy

Becky -

Here are a few pictures of my storage.

This first one is my binder book . . . with seeds from trades and/or purchases. Each page contains seeds acquired from one person/source, whether it be trade, purchase, etc. Do the green baggies look vaguely familiar?

Here is the coffee can I use to put trades, etc. that are still in the envelopes they came in (opened, of course!).

And here is the Walmart container that holds misc. seeds.

Nichole - LOL! Those green bags do look VERY familiar! I ran out of those a while back but laugh when someone mentions them! Thanks for the chuckle! ;-) I see your mail is "filed" like mine. Though my envies from others are in a large ziploc bag until I can sort through them, make sure the person's name is on or in the seed bags, and filed in my 3 ring binder. Such fun, isn't it? :-)

Becky and Nichole- great seed storage ideas.

I haven't progressed past a shoebox for my misc. seeds and a tupperware container for my MG seeds. But they're in alphabetical order; does that count? LOL.

Joanne

okkay, i now have a plastic expandable file folder that is see thru and tabs and plastic sheets and paer in a binder.. I am ready to be organised.. *now if I just do it*

Debra - As Nike says ... Just Do It!!! I know ya can! :-) And then show us a photo when you do! :-)

Get to it Debra LOL i use thos but I cut them down, so they are the height of a seed poacket, about 2/5ths of the total height off is helpful i find yo can see the seeds easier instead of pulling them ALL out... food for thought
:D

I do alaso keep my seeds into money paper bags into a wooden box togther with those litte silica gel bags that come into the shoe boxes when you buy yourself a new pair of shoes. I never throw them away I put them into my seed box to dry the dampair

besides that I keep track of every single trade thu a database I made myself in access, where I know what I've received, when, Who sent it, his/her name and address, email, etc.. when I planted it , if it germinated or not, pictures of them, etc... so when ever I need some seeds I look first in my database who was the last person that sen it to me and if it was a good trade or not so I trade with him or her again

this is great cause I keep all the information regarding a trade and sometimes its wonderful to trade again with somebody that's been 4 years you havent herd of him or her again and they get all happy to know that you havent fogottent them or sometimes I just send seed packs as presents to people I have trade with along the years and they get so excited to now I still keep theirs address or email.

I dont know I guess I'm a very picky person who likes to keep everything in order and keep information of everysingle trade.

Its just and idea...

Koko - Impressive! I hope to get to that level of record keeping for trades ... eventually. :-) Good idea using those silica gel bags! I'll have to remember that! :-)

I join group seed trades and don't always know who sent which seeds, so that wouldn't work for every trade, but would for most... The majority of trades I've done have been great. Sometimes seeds won't grow in my garden because the seeds are not in the right climate/zone to germinate or thrive. So I can't blame the sender...

Speaking of the silica packs from shoes which are a GREAT idea Kokorota, you find silica also in RX bottles in plastic capsules. You can seperate the capsule open and get the silica out, to use it in a envelope if you dont have some from shoes~ Also then the plastic containers the Silica comes in are good sizes and strong to protect seeds~once emptied ! they are not flat, But will protect the seed....They need to be carefully pried apart eitherat the center or at one end you can see the ''cap''. This has worked for me for tiny seeds.

Well lets see if this works........This is the home made version of the $30 box kit for hanging alphabetic or numeric files of ziplocks. You may be able to buy the $1 shoebox from dollartree like we did, and then pick up the hangers and special ziplocks at a sewing center. Frank

Wow! That's pretty cool, Frank!! I haven't ever seen that set-up before. I must be sheltered too much! LOL! I really like it! And will ya look at the computer printout of the names! Very, very nice! So how did you get the sticks to mount inside the box for hanging the ziplocs?

I now have my pix transfering to DG, by reducing the resolution and taking new pix, it now takes less time to transfer to DG. Here is picture of the special zip locks that the self stick hangers hang.

Those are neat! Never seen anything like that... from a sewing supply store, huh?

I have some more pix to post and then I will start answering questions.
Here are some more of the supplies that I use for tabing anything including seed catalog pages, and printing tiny little labels for the tabs and plastic plant labels.

The tabs are a post it product from Office Max

in the bottom right hand corner is the Avery label number to look for, if you have the software to print labels

and a 6" ruller to show the size of the bags..........Frank

And here is one more. I never can remember which catalog I found something in, so here is the solution......post it file tabs you can write on an put it right on the top of the page it is on......I love these.

Now I need to work more on photo technique. Avoiding glare without losing depth of field. I also need to select the lowest resolution on my camera, or it takes so long to transfer, I think something went wrong that didn't.

This message was edited Jan 2, 2009 4:51 PM

Something that I didn't do a good job of illustrating is the box all by itself.

If you buy the kit, it looks like a shoe box, about 6" wide, with two rods running from front to back, near the outside edges of the box.

If you decide to go cheap, then you have to find a big "embroidery section" in a huge fabric store to locate the hangers and the bags.

Both are sold by the hundred. If you don't live dear one, then you can find a cross stitch bulletin board and ask where. My wife inherited some from a cross stitch pal, and they are not available in my neighborhood. This so easy to index in any system you want. Mine is alphabetic by genus of Convolvulus. For those of you with tons of seeds to keep track of, look no further. This is the system you need for quickly locating any seed you hve indexed. Frank

Nice job, Frank! Thanks for sharing the photos and explanation of how to create this system! Looks great!

I love all of those ideas and will probably steal many of them :)... I particularly like the one picture where the seeds are drying with the candy corn... I may need to try that :)... yummy... I tend to save my prescription bottles and use either small baggies or small envelopes... I really like the binder idea...
Brittany

i can't seem to find anywhere that sells the 'embroidery' hanging ziplocks :-( so i think i'm going to go for the binder idea too.... although i 'm a bit worried that the seeds will squash up against each other!
i currently just keep them loose in plastic tubs and keep an inventry of what i've got...