I ’m a seed - aholic … there , I admitted it ! I ’m guessing if you ’re reading this , you have an rich amount of seeds too and you need some ideas for storing them ! Every twelvemonth I purchase way more seeds than I can ever use ! It ’s the dead of winter when those gorgeous seed catalogs start get in and I just totally get sucked in ! Plus … I love collecting seeds from the peak in my garden !
to save my investment in seeds over the years , I ’ve done a little digging ( no pun intended ) to find the best ways to preserve and storage seeds . Wow , you have to be a science geek to understand three - fourths of the information that is out there ! So , if you ’re not a horticulturist or biologist , but just a household gardener that desire to jazz how to preserve and store your seeds , this is the article for you .
If you ’re up for an amazing DIY Seed Storage Idea , be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post .
This post contain affiliate connexion . If you chatter onone of the links and make a purchase , I may receive a small delegation at no additional cost to you . Seefull disclosure here .
What is the Best Way to Store Seeds
come need to be store in a cool , dry place and away from sun light : a dark closet or space in the coolest room in your house is ideal . I do n’t recommend storing garden seed in an out building like a garden shed or even a garage , because the temperatures fluctuate too much and they can also be eaten by critter .
Do seeds demand to be stored in the freezer or refrigerator , as is often mentioned on garden forum ? No , they do n’t ! Because seed vaults store seeds at freezing temperatures , it is assumed that seeds should be stack away in the deep freezer . However , seed bank vault are highly regulated and are n’t at all like a home freezer or refrigerator that is opened and closed umpteen times a day !
If youcollect seeds from plants in your garden , be certain they are 100 % dry before you salt away them . Seeds from various seed companies should be fine left in their original mailboat , as long as they are dry .
If semen are the least morsel damp when they are stored , they will grow clay sculpture and that ’s not pretty ; plus , they wo n’t shoot . So , no stop in redeem seeds if they are n’t going to be any respectable .
Here ’s a great tip : Silica gel packets(those little packet that come in pill bottleful and other stuff ) work really well to help with moisture control ! Just toss a few in the germ depot box and change them out every so often .
How Long Can Seeds Be Stored
Lots of nurseryman ask this question , so I require to do my good to do it . How long can seed be stored ? Well , no one really be intimate ! Some sources say 2 year max , some say 12 months and well , the answers are all over the spot .
I ’ve had seeds that were 4 years sure-enough and they germinated just fine . I ’ve had seeds that were 3 geezerhood old and they did n’t bourgeon at all ! So see , there ’s just no mode to severalize .
you’re able to do the source germination test where you put the seeds in a dampish napkin and see if they germinate . But , you know what , I do n’t even do that ! I just plant them . As a general rule of thumb , if semen are sometime , plant more than you would if the seed are n’t box for the current year .
If they germinate , great ! If not , you have absolutely nothing to lose except some old come and soil . Just dump the go wrong experiment in your compost and start over . Like I always say , experimentation is a huge part of take how to garden !
I ’m indisputable you’re able to find some long clause with all the boring scientific facts on the vane about how farseeing seeds can be stored , but why put out ? Really , just plant them and see what chance !
Seed Packet Storage Ideas
Seed Storage Boxes
lay in seminal fluid mail boat in a plastic shoe boxful is often done and is really utilitarian , but aseed box , similar to the one render below , is so much more attractive ! It ’s surprising how many seed packets it holds ! And , it has 3 Ellen Price Wood divider at bottom so the seed packet boat do n’t fall over , ( if it just so bump that you do n’t have enough to replete the boxwood . ) Neat huh !
seed can be divided by perennial flower seeded player , annual blossom germ and vegetable seeds . you’re able to also alphabetise them in each section ! All organized and easy to find ! Just looking at this seed box and all my seeds , take a crap my happy endorphins kick in !
photograph warehousing boxes also work really well for come packet computer storage , especially if you have stacks and lots of seed packets . They come in bothsmallandlargesizes . The piffling box compartment make them great for sorting and organizing ejaculate packet .
DIY Seed Storage Ring Binder
Using a annulus ring-binder withphoto album sleevesis another gravid way of life to store your seed packets ! They are well seeable and accessible . germ packets can be organized by flowers and vegetables , alphabetically or really , any direction that work for you .
Another way you may organize the seed is to divide them by when they take to be start out indoors ! For instance ; sort the seeds by those that need to be started 10 - 12 weeks before the last frost date ; 8 - 10 weeks before the last frost appointment ; 6 - 8 week before the last rime engagement ; etc .
The beauty of this organization is that you could make it your own !
Your ejaculate repositing ring ring-binder is also the unadulterated place to keep garden seed catalog ! Be certain to print off some of the seed stock list sheet from the Garden Resources Library to keep in your source storage gang binder . There ’s more entropy about that below .
Oh hey , while we are talking about ejaculate packet store idea , there ’s a really precious printable in theGingham Gardens Resources Librarythat include 2 seed parcel to an 8.5×11 plane of newspaper with the instructions for put it together . They act upon really well for seminal fluid you ’ve collected from your garden .
Seed Inventory Resource
There ’s also a Seed Inventory page in theGingham Gardening Resources Librarythat you may impress ! This was created with seed collector ( me ) in mind . I tend to buy the same seeds over and over , so I put together this ready to hand seed inventory shroud , to aid me not do that !
Keep a copy with your seed and put another one in your garden daybook : when you ’re order germ , you may refer back to it so you do n’t end up with multiples !
Another idea is to snap a video of the inclination , so you have it when you ’re shopping .
you’re able to gain access to the printable seed packets and all the other awesome horticulture printable items in the Gingham Gardens Resources Library by completing the newssheet subscription form below !
More Seed Storage Container Ideas
We ’ve shroud some great ways to store cum packets ! But what if you ’ve work screwball pick up seeds from your garden or you enter in germ exchange ? We ’ve got some outstanding seed depot container idea for you too !
Seed Containers
you could use upcycled items for ejaculate storage , likepill bottles , tic tac pot containers , humble jars , small bead container or credit card zip bags . If you do n’t have those , check out these ideas !
Some Retail Sources
Check out thisBead Storage Setthat would be awesome for store garden seeds ! Here ’s anotherbead store setthat would also work wondrously for storing seeds . Remember , if you decide to use clear or vapourous storage container , keep those container in a coolheaded , coloured outer space in your home .
There are so many container to prefer from ! Just let your creative juice flow !
DIY Seed Storage Chest
Here ’s a really unique and tops playfulness and interesting seed storehouse idea ! reckon at this ! A Gingham Gardens ’ reader , Joeleen from Tennessee , sent flick of her upcycled seed storage chest . You ’re proceed to have it off this ! Below , is the before .
First , Joeleen paint the bureau a beautiful turquoise amobarbital sodium . Then , she used peak transfers like tothese . For the give-and-take , she used random stencils from her craft stash and pieced the words to fill in the distance . She used an oil cardsharper paint pen to sate in the stencil . The finished Cartesian product is awing !
Here is the interior of one of the drawers . Joeleen ’s husband cut dividers to fit the drawer utterly .
Now that you ’ve collected seeds and learned how to salt away them , what about tryingWinter SowingorSeed Starting Indoors . Gingham Gardens has gross ton of practical steer and tricks for gardeners at any story ! Hang out in the gardens for awhile and see what you’re able to chance .
Happy gardening ,
Julie
p.s . sense liberal to share the stick below on Pinterest .
p.p.s I ’d screw to have you postdate me onPinterest . fortune of great gardening ideas and tons of flower garden centre confect for you . Gingham Gardens is also on Facebook . block off by and say hello !
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