Hello everyone...

I am just wondering. I started collecting seeds a while ago.
As these have their own rhythm to ripe and dry, I am wondering how I can store these for long term.
Sometimes when I trade, the other person is writing "kept in freezer, good viability" or something.

Can ALL seeds be stored in the FREEZER, where it freezes?
Do any seeds suffer from being frozen?

OR just in the FRIDGE is enough?

And another thing... air-tight??? container...hmmm. i don't think I have any air-tight container. What container would be suited for such use?

I'd like to keep some seeds until I sow them or trade them, sometimes till next spring.

I used to keep them in newspapers, napkins, paper towels and then all in a shoe box and kept in a closet in my living room - but I am thinking this is not exactly right...

I keep seeds in plastic containers in a basement cupboard.
A freezer would be better for long term storage.
I am, usually, just storing seeds for the next growing season.

Some such as Himalayan blue poppy seeds----I keep in the 'frig.

I'm thinking that there are probably some seeds that wouldn't appreciate being frozen. Morning glory seeds come to mind, just because I almost never get volunteers from I. tricolor or I. nil (although I. purpurea volunteer hugely). I could be wrong about that; it may just be that they don't have time to mature before winter hits them here.

And maybe some seeds of tropicals may not like freezing?

Ah, yes, good point, Caroline! I wonder if there is a database somewhere that lists optimal storage temperatures for various seeds. I know there's one that shows length of viability for a goodly number of seeds and they do make some recommendations for storage conditions. Have to go dig that one up.

Well, darn it, apparently that link is no longer viable, so I'm deleting it.

Woofie,

That's the same site I was going to recommend. I'll look for a few more links.

I agree that most seeds can be frozen once they are very dry. That also kills many insect eggs, I'm told.

I often find the claim that for every 10% drier, or 10 degrees F colder, you "double" the viable lifetime in storage. However, below 15% relative humidity, you might start to kill some seeds.

That's why I stopped keeping a big paper coin envelope of silica gel in my sealed jars and tubs. Now I usually have a smaller envelope of gel, not TOO fresh, and take it out if that jar isn't going to be opened and closed every few weeks or months. I don't want them to get TOO dry. You can buy a pound or two of silica gel in any craft store - used for drying flowers. You can regenerate it by baking a thin layer for 3-4 hours at 250F. (Overheating, like above 280 F, can damage the gel so it doesn't absorb as much humidity.)

I think that silica gel is overkill if you only need seeds to last 3-5 years. If losing a little germination rate or vigor is not a huge deal, any reasonably dry, dark, cool spot is OK. Temperature SWINGS and humidity SWINGS are bad.

Dry rice or macaroni, baked almost-brown are milder desiccants.

Just get it really dry before you seal seeds in anything impermeable. If there is doubt about how dry the seed is, leave it in paper. (Coin envelopes or business envelopes saved from bills, or fancy-folded from a sheet of paper).


1. "triple foil packets with heat-seal" - suitable for world-class seed vaults and collectors of rarities. The kind of people who also have deep freezers or even liquid nitrogen.

2. Sealable jars: metal screw-lid glass jars (Mason jars, jelly and jam jars) 100%

3. Seal-a-meal pouches - 98% or 99% ideal

4. plastic jars with screw lids: not quite as tightly sealed but OK to prevent swings in humidity. This is what I use, but I'm looking for some cheap gaskets or soft rings.

If saving common seed for 3-5 years, not trying to preserve something rare and irreplaceable for 10-15 years, all the above are overkill.

5. Plastic freezer bag with Ziploc - fine for normal seed savers, in the fridge or the freezer or a cool basement.

6. regular plastic baggie with Ziploc - OK if you don't have lots of humidity and humidity swings. (I use these inside my big plastic tubs, just to keep each variety separate, and, for fussiness, "double-bagged".

7. paper envelopes and/or paper bags - the most common means of storing crop seeds. This works fine for a great many people, for 3-5 years.

http://www.kew.org/science-res......
- - - - Woofie's link has since then redirected to some spammy site - - - -
http://howtosaveseeds.com/stor...
http://www.seedcontainers.net/...
http://www.ehow.com/how_557896...
http://www.underwoodgardens.co...
http://www.southernexposure.co...

technical paper:
http://www.seedcontainers.net/...

RickCorey said:Woofie,

http://www.kew.org/science-res......
http://www.hillgardens.com/sto... - Woofie's link
http://howtosaveseeds.com/stor...
http://www.seedcontainers.net/...
http://www.ehow.com/how_557896...
http://www.underwoodgardens.co...
http://www.southernexposure.co...

The www.hillgardens.co....... link appears to now be a redirecting spamming(?) link. It brought up a cheesy browser warning the first time I clicked it. Giving it a second chance, the second click started trying to connect to an "Angie's List" advertisement...I said fugitaboudit. FWIW...

Thanks very much, Ed!

I'm going to go delete the bad link from my post.

Woofie, you might want to edit your original post with a warning. My IT department only tells me that it is blocked "due to content filtering".

Wow, that was weird! First time I clicked on the link I posted, it took me to a Home Depot site! Then I tried it again and got directed to a site warning me that my searches were being monitored. Anyway, I deleted that link from my original post just now. Thanks for letting me know.

Ed, acorns SHOULD be awarded for finding bad links and getting them removed!

Meh, just didn't want anybody getting messed up with questionable link. The bad part is I would have liked to have seen what the old (real) link had to say. Ah well, there's still more info on the web than I'll ever be able to get around to reading anyhow.