storing seeds

[Samuel Caldwell]

What's the best way to store seeds? Some of my old seeds have been neglected and aren't germinating. I recently received my first Ace order and would like to keep them viable as long as possible.

The Ace website says - In order to guarantee the correct conservation of the seeds and maximize the viability of germination, the seeds are preserved in hygienic conditions at a constant temperature of 4ºC. The levels of humidity are low and constant too.

So in the refrigerator is best. I put them in a ziplock freezer bag and rolled it up to get most of the air out and stuck it in the back of the fridge. Good enough? Should the bag be put inside a mason jar? Vacuum sealed? Desiccant needed? Tips or suggestions?

If this has been previously discussed please direct me. I searched but couldn't find anything. Thanks.

 

[Claude Hopper]

Rule one about refrigerating or freezing seeds:
The temperature needs to remain stable. If the temperature fluctuates often you will get condensation in the fridge. The freezer can cause them to overly dry out -freezer burn- and should only be used for very long term storing.

I store my seeds in their small ziplocks (like many Ace seeds come in) and place them in a pill bottle that fits inside a quart mason jar. I then fill the mason jar with rice. This keeps moisture from condensing in the jar when the fridge opens and closes.

I'm running some Sensi Stars now that had been kept in refrigeration for over 10 years and had 3 out of five seeds germinate.

 

[Borderliner]

1+ on adding rice for desiccant. Keep mine in zip bag in frig.

 

[Capt.Ahab]

I do the same as Claude. I keep my seeds in small heavy duty ziplocks in Mason jars at the back of the fridge with desiccant packs in the jar. I have seeds that have been in the fridge for many years and still get satisfactory germination on all of them .

 

[Samuel Caldwell]

Sounds great. They're in the little baggies they came in. I put all of those in a freezer bag in the fridge. I'll grab a mason jar and some rice and put the ziplock in that. Thanks, folks.

 

[dubi]

Hi Samuel Caldwell,

To store your seeds put them inside a hermetic bag (or inside a vacuum sealed bag) with silica gel. Place the bag inside a good fridge that doesn't condensate water in its walls, store them inside the fridge with constant temps of 4ºC. Seeds will last 5-10 years more and if they are correctly stored then they will germinate almost perfectly.

If you need to store them for decades then you need to freeze them which is a different process.

 

[Samuel Caldwell]

Thanks, dubi!

 

[OnceUpon]

i have neglected my seeds in the past and still had good germination for 3years. now im feeling like i need to be more serious about preservation, and wishing that maybe i had threw a few of those seeds in the freezer when they were abundant 10 years ago.

anyone have direction or advice for long term freezer storage?

 

[Mean1]

Mason jar...stuffed with seeds and then I fill it 1/3 maybe 1/2 half way with rice and refrigerate. I've been meaning to get silica gel/desiccant packs but I think method has been sufficient so far.

 

[WCGanjanetics]

I have a spare dual zone wine fridge I'll probably put to use for seed storage. You can set them temp in each zone and it should stay pretty steady. I also use on of those air tight coffee containers to put them in before I put them in the fridge

 

[Nextgeneration73]

Hi Samuel Caldwell,

To store your seeds put them inside a hermetic bag (or inside a vacuum sealed bag) with silica gel. Place the bag inside a good fridge that doesn't condensate water in its walls, store them inside the fridge with constant temps of 4ºC. Seeds will last 5-10 years more and if they are correctly stored then they will germinate almost perfectly.

If you need to store them for decades then you need to freeze them which is a different process.

How about staying in their original flask in a bag full of herbs right below them) in the fridge at 2 degrees Celcius, is it okay to check on them twice a year? Or once in a few months?

 

[H e d g e]

The salad draw in the fridge maintains a better constant temperature, things sometimes can freeze and thaw at the back. Store in two glass jars, one inside the other with silica in both.

 

[Nextgeneration73]

The salad draw in the fridge maintains a better constant temperature, things sometimes can freeze and thaw at the back. Store in two glass jars, one inside the other with silica in both.

I don't know if this reply is towards someone else but I forgot to mention that mine are in the salad draw...

 

[foomar]

things sometimes can freeze and thaw at the back.

The modern so called frost free fridges are bad for this , ice often forming when it self defrosts and switches back to cooling.

After 15 years in the salad drawer at 3 - 4 deg germination is now around 50% , was near 100% after 5 years .

Same batch in a jar at the back of a garage cupboard for 15 years are 10% at most and struggle for weeks.