How to properly store seeds. I am no expert on the storage of seeds, my only expertise that I can take claim for is that over the years of growing seeds out, I know what has grown out due to the fact of how it was stored. Now you may ask just why I brought up this issue, over the years I have been trading on various websites and have gotton to know many nice fellow gardeners. What has come to me attention this seed starting season is the poor and or lack of germination rate I have gotten from a lot of seeds I received in return from various seed exchange websites. People talk a lot about seed purity and make a big deal about that, but what is the use of seed purity when you've traded for duds! I have always sent seed that I have grown out that very same year, or have storaged in my refrigerator and have gotten complements on how great my germination rate is of the seeds I've traded. Well this years seed starting has been very disappointing, the tomatoes are up but two or three. The main problem is most peppers, flowers, and herb seeds, I have only 10 to 20 percent on the flower seeds germinate, and the herbs are about at the same rate of germination. But the worst is the pepper seed, which I had sowen a messload, and only 10 percent came up. I'm sad to say I traded in good faith with people on the various sites, but in return got old or dead seed. Totally nonviable! In a week or so I will list on the forum what has not germinated, and will try to find fresh seed this fall, if I can not, I will end up buying seed next season if I can't get viable seed from trades. This fall state that I will only trade for seed that has been grown out that season and will not trade for nonviable seed. The trader must state in their trade list that it was grown out that year, otherwise I will not trade. I sent out fresh seed, to only get duds in return. So I must be in possession of many duds, a very disheartening position to say the least. Pardon me for the long intro, but I had to explaine my reasons for writing this topic. (BTW, I will be posting this on other websites as well, less the copyrighted item(s).) Now I will get to the matter of how I save seed. Firstly, to save seed is rather easy, I have a lot of info on that topic on this website. The follow are files on the subject, ie: "How to save tomato seeds, aka how to not starve to death! The art of saving of tomato seeds, at little or no cost at all" (if you with to learn more, email me) I store seeds in the refrigerator, I use zip loc baggies and add a little dry milk to the main large zip loc bag that I put all the smaller bags of seed into. I then use a large bubble mailer to store the large zip loc into and place it in the upper back of the refrigerator and use rubber bands to keep the bubble mailer sealed. I do not store seeds any other way due to the fact that keeping seeds at room temperature will cause the embyro to consume its stored sugars within the seed case and either get too weak to germinate or die altogether. Storing seeds in the refrigerator or (((freezer))) (which I don't do, cause I don't store them for decades) will put the emybro into suspended animation reducing its need to consume the sugars that are incased in the seed. Thus increasing its storage life! In this manner I have kept tomato seeds for up to ten years and still get a good germination rate, so I must be doing something right! Farmer Ron
That was very informative, I have been wondering if I could save seeds from this falls crop for next spring and here you are with the perfect timing, THanks so much for this very informative post and I'm so sorry to hear that you have so many duds this year, I do hope posting this helps.
