Seed storage

[pmbug]

Every spring we invest in a variety of garden seeds, plant as much as we can fit into our garden, and stash the remaining seeds. When the seeds are pulled out the following spring I always question how viable they are after being stored in a ziplock bag in the pantry all summer and winter. So, the challenge is how to store garden seeds to maximize shelf life.

The 3 most important factors in seed storage are moisture, light and temperature. Seeds germinate in warm, moist, and bright environments. Therefore, to successfully store seeds a cool, dry, and dark environment must be created.
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More: http://www.self-sufficient-home.com/1043-storing-vegetable-seeds.html

h/t: http://www.peakprosperity.com/dailyprep/80456/storing-vegetable-seeds

 

[ancona]

Ah.....seed storage...

We save our own seeds each planting season by drying them on screens in the sun and packing them with dessicant packs in plain white envelopes. Seed storage has been practiced for millenia, so the techniques are pretty widely known in the food storage arena. I recommend using only heirloom seeds, and preferably, open pollinated varieties. From season to season you can cross pollinate dirrefent varieties of the same plant and end up with some pretty cool variations. We crossed a smallish variety of tomato called "Mr. Stripey" with a large beefsteak and ended up with a magnificent sauce tomato. The same can be done with beans, peas, corn, etc.

There is a firm called Annies Heirloom Seeds that can be found onbline that produces limited quantities of high quality seeds that have fantastic germination rates. A lot of our initial stock we purchased from them and we save those seeds to this day.

For those who have not yet started a garden, now is the time. A single large beefsteak tomato aat Winn Dixie was $1.69. I almost fell over when I saw that. Take a trip to the store and have a look and see at vegetable prices, you will be shocked. Same for eggs. We have fifteen hens, twelve of which still produce eggs, so I hadn't looked at prices for a while, but when I did I was blown away.

 

[DCFusor]

First thing that came to mind - mason jars mostly filled (less air) and I click on your links, and presto - mason jars. I've even used them for miniature bell jars for vacuum, they're really tight.

Recently a friend wanted to split up a 50 lb bag of popcorn(!) with the idea that you could pop it later, or grind it to cornmeal. We settled on filling almost 3 cases of quart mason jars with it to keep the moisture just so; popcorn is real picky about that if you want it to pop well. I didn't bother sparging them with argon or anything, but I could have.

 

[Jay]

First thing that came to mind - mason jars mostly filled (less air) and I click on your links, and presto - mason jars. I've even used them for miniature bell jars for vacuum, they're really tight.

Recently a friend wanted to split up a 50 lb bag of popcorn(!) with the idea that you could pop it later, or grind it to cornmeal. We settled on filling almost 3 cases of quart mason jars with it to keep the moisture just so; popcorn is real picky about that if you want it to pop well. I didn't bother sparging them with argon or anything, but I could have.

we have a few hundred pounds of popcorn, but its packed for thirty years....

 

[Jay]

Ah.....seed storage...

We save our own seeds each planting season by drying them on screens in the sun and packing them with dessicant packs in plain white envelopes. Seed storage has been practiced for millenia, so the techniques are pretty widely known in the food storage arena. I recommend using only heirloom seeds, and preferably, open pollinated varieties. From season to season you can cross pollinate dirrefent varieties of the same plant and end up with some pretty cool variations. We crossed a smallish variety of tomato called "Mr. Stripey" with a large beefsteak and ended up with a magnificent sauce tomato. The same can be done with beans, peas, corn, etc.

There is a firm called Annies Heirloom Seeds that can be found onbline that produces limited quantities of high quality seeds that have fantastic germination rates. A lot of our initial stock we purchased from them and we save those seeds to this day.

For those who have not yet started a garden, now is the time. A single large beefsteak tomato aat Winn Dixie was $1.69. I almost fell over when I saw that. Take a trip to the store and have a look and see at vegetable prices, you will be shocked. Same for eggs. We have fifteen hens, twelve of which still produce eggs, so I hadn't looked at prices for a while, but when I did I was blown away.

because my family is asian, we grow mostly asian stuff (wish I were still in Fla for that purpose, hard to grow stuff here in central Texas) Bought a bunch of seeds online fifteen or so years ago (from an asian seed company in Canada, no less) and we've saved the seeds every year (in ziplock bags) and replanted with no problems. (Ampalaya (bitter melon), Opo (squash), long beans, Talong (eggplant), etc.) Last year I grew a bunch of red and white, white fleshed sweet potatoes. The red skinned did much better (larger tubers). Also, this fall I got forty pounds of purple yams, so I'm gonna try that.

Also, every spring the plants come up everywhere. They are highly invasive, with the exception of the eggplant and long beans.

Also, I work as a produce clerk, so the boss gives me anything we throw away that I want. The waste is unbelievable. Americans won't buy it if it doesn't look like it is squeezed out of a tube. If its got a tiny blemish on it, into the trash.


there is so much to eat its amazing. All of what I call weeds in the yard, Bing cooks. The leaves of the sweet potato, the leaves of pepper plants, she makes salad out of them. Canna lillies, which have invaded my yard, are eaten over 80% of the world. But certainly DYODD; my friend told me Texas Mountain laurel was the same as bay leaf, its not, its poisonous.

 

[Jay]

First thing that came to mind - mason jars mostly filled (less air) and I click on your links, and presto - mason jars. I've even used them for miniature bell jars for vacuum, they're really tight.

Recently a friend wanted to split up a 50 lb bag of popcorn(!) with the idea that you could pop it later, or grind it to cornmeal. We settled on filling almost 3 cases of quart mason jars with it to keep the moisture just so; popcorn is real picky about that if you want it to pop well. I didn't bother sparging them with argon or anything, but I could have.

I had a sack of (25#) powdered milk which we packed in mason jars with oxygen absorbers because we were never gonna drink it (don't even know why I bought it). Let you know how that works out in 20 years!