Long Term Storage of Garden Seeds

[2LaneCruzer]

We are not "Doomsdayers" per se, but we thought it might be wise, and not particularly difficult, to store some essential garden seeds long term...just in case. Maybe things like beans, corn, purple hulls, radishes, etc. I have a "Food Saver" vacuum packaging unit that I use for frozen food, I don't see why it can't work for seeds. I have a freezer, but it's pretty full, but I could make some room for seeds if necessary. We do not have a problem with varmits, but I'm sure any unsecured bulk seeds would be subject to mice and such. Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
Dennis

 

[michael.white]

I just put the seeds in some small envelopes (or even back in their original packages if they're the ziplock type) and stick 'em in the freezer. I recently planted (in poor soil) five year old melon seeds that I stored that way. About half germinated; if I had soaked them in liquid fish fertilizer and started them indoors I'd bet most of them would've germinated.

 

[dmccarty]

We bought a Food Saver last year. Should have bought it sooner. We ended loosing quite a few seeds year from year. Supposedly to seed save, freezing is the way to go but you need to prevent them from drying out. Figured putting the seeds in a Food Saver bag would help prevent dehydration. Whatever seeds we have left over this year we will vacuum seal and then freeze them.

Usually we have started seeds by this time of year but we are still getting cold spells so we have not even bought starters containers. Temps going down into the 20's again tonight. :confused3:

Later,
Dan

 

[KTurner]

but we thought it might be wise, and not particularly difficult, to store some essential garden seeds long term...

What do you mean, long term? 2 years, 20 years, 200 years, 2000 years?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

What do you mean, long term? 2 years, 20 years, 200 years, 2000 years?

Well, 2000 years is certainly long term, but I don't have any lotus seeds, so I'm shooting for 5 to 10 years.

 

[grsthegreat]

if you succeed in preserving them for 2,000 years...please leave a post here to tell my great great great great great great great great great grandchildren about it. they will read about it either on their imbedded microchip computer brain scan device....or in the cave wall paintings whichever succeeds us.:laughing:

 

[2LaneCruzer]

if you succeed in preserving them for 2,000 years...please leave a post here to tell my great great great great great great great great great grandchildren about it. they will read about it either on their imbedded microchip computer brain scan device....or in the cave wall paintings whichever succeeds us.:laughing:

No caves nearby, but I guess I could store them in a SS time capsule, vacuum packed, buried in a pool of Mercury and covered with 10 foot of concrete, covered with a granite monument engraved with the date and contents, and a notation that the Krell were here. :laughing: No joke, though, I Archaeologists have found Lotus seeds in burial chambers that were in that age range that actually sprouted.

 

[KTurner]

Well, 2000 years is certainly long term, but I don't have any lotus seeds, so I'm shooting for 5 to 10 years.

We ordered some seeds from Burpee in early 2011, that were labeled 'packed for 2011'. We used what we needed and the others were stuffed back in the shipping envelope and set on the shelf in the laundry room. This year, I decided to try some of them. Planted six of the mortgage lifter seeds and six of the brandywine seeds. So far, five of each have started growing. Surprised me, as the laundry room would seem to be a harsh environment for seeds - at times the coldest room in the house, at other times the clothes dryer really heating things up. Given this experience, I'd expect 5 years to be pretty easy. These seeds were halfway to 5 years, and I was basically abusing them.

Keith

 

[forgeblast]

Emergency essentials has #10 cans of seedshttp://beprepared.com/canned-heirloom-garden-seeds.html
One person has success with them after 6 years.

 

[jymbee]

We are not "Doomsdayers" per se, but ...

The folks running the Global Seed Vault have an eye on the "doomsday" scenario. :thumbsup: