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How long can you store seeds?

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12K views 38 replies 30 participants last post by  SnakeRanch 
#1 ·
How long can you store seeds exactly?

What are the conditions one needs to keep them in?

What is a good online seed supplier?

Thanks
 
#11 ·
They have found viable seeds in the Pyramids, thousands of years old.

Not quite sure how true that is. Where did this info come from? If this was the case i don't see why seed retailers offer a shelf life of up to 10 years. You'd think after a thousand years they would be rotten, eaten by pests or... oh yeah...disintigrated.

The more important thing than stockpiling seeds is the ability to plant seeds successfully so that the fruits and vegetables produced, produce seeds for the next season.
 
#8 ·
We saved some seed that I had forgotten in the bottom of a drawer in the garage from an heirloom pumpkin. We had it stored in less than optimal conditions, and it was four years old this year. I planted it to see if it would germinate. Nothing grew.

I have also heard that storing seeds in plastic bags will mess them up- something about the static electricity.

I have always wanted to get the book "Seed to Seed" (or something like that). It's about collecting, storing and re-planting seeds. I've heard really good things about it.
 
#9 ·
I bought this book a week ago and have started going through and making marks on the pages for the vegetables I intend to grow. There is a wealth of information in the book, although it's relatively short. It's a great investment if you intend to save seeds, no matter the reason.

I was advised by my personal gardening expert to put the seeds in corn starch, then stick them in an air tight container (glass jar with lid) and stick them in the fridge. I removed some of them from their old envelopes and put them in some that I ordered while buying seeds for my winter garden. 1tsp of corn starch, gave it a little shake, then labeled the packet with the date stamped on the original pack.

They should last me at least a year in the fridge and I'll save seed from them next year.
 
#13 ·
Yeah well the Pharaoh stuff has long been debunked. Typically, 3-5 years ( though may be at 50%) excluding onions at one year ( standard room temp).

Seed to Seed is the source.

Posts became rare as I grew tired of the doom and gloom. Life is but as I live it ... S(ame)O(ld)S(hit). There were no freezers in grand-dads life ... save seeds, bad year - try again next year ( with the same seed).
Obama-feed= BS-sucking. And afore you go there, I spent 14 months un-employed looking for a job ...... and drew nary a dime of un-em insurance.

Get it? This survival stuff ain't as new as many think .... more like life as usual for many outside the prestigious lifestyle. Plan for 2 years without, Pray for better. Reckon which is currently happier? Seniors pondering their 401k, 99'ers wondering about an extension .... or broke folks living as usual? There is a day of reckoning coming. The meek shall inherit the earth.

Hillbillies, Hicks? Dang right! Bring your $1,400 gold coins into camp to buy a loaf of bread.
Stew on that for a second.

OK, think about that yet again .... Bring your $1,400 gold coins into camp to buy a loaf of bread. Wheat or bullion .... future wealth =???? Future sustenance = ??? Where does the line cross?

Money chases security .... that they can not eat.

Hate to state the obvious but just how many calories does au contain? Vitamin A?

Exactly. Given the choice, would you plant gold or corn for next years harvest? Gold or squash?

Just pondering my potential competition .... should I plant more beans? If TSHTF, would you be more interested in the "potential growth" of a rare ( $1,400/troy ounce) commodity .... or would you be more interested the harvest of $3.95/lb bean seed???? Just stewing.

How can I make money off of gold ..... when beans are worth more????
 
#26 ·
Just pondering my potential competition .... should I plant more beans? If TSHTF, would you be more interested in the "potential growth" of a rare ( $1,400/troy ounce) commodity .... or would you be more interested the harvest of $3.95/lb bean seed???? Just stewing.

How can I make money off of gold ..... when beans are worth more????
I had some bags of beans that were in my closet at least 4 years - and I planted them and THEY'RE GROWING! So a long time.

And Dazed - this is what I constantly say. Forget money, I invest in things I can eat - and it ain't gold!
 
#17 ·
I ran across Garden Seeds in a #10 Can in the catalog from www.emergencyessentials.com and they claim approximate storage life of 4 years even though the seeds are "packed in triple-layered, hermetically sealed, zip-topped, foil lined packets and sealed in a #10 can."

They add that each 6 degree drop in temperature can double the storage life and recommend the fridge or freezer. Nothing about building a pyramid. . .

Oh, 16 varieties but doesn't list which kinds @ $43.95 + S&H.
 
#18 ·
It really depends on species, how the seed is prepared, and how it is stored. See, the seed isn't just sitting there in stasis- it's respirating and using up it's energy stores. Basically, you want to make sure your seed is really dry, and then store it in a cool, dry place. Properly prepared seeds, stored in your fridge, can last five years. In the freezer, 10.

There is lots of information out there on this topic- and it will go very in depth on how to prepare all the various types of seeds out there.
 
#20 ·
Need a source of bulk heirloom seeds from a true supplier of hierlooms.

I am finding that seed companies are not selling heirlooms when they claim to be doing so, and that what they sell me do not come up or if they do they are worthless when it comes to producing.

anyone know of a company that will stand behind what they are selling.

need to purchase 800 to 1000 pounds of seeds or of mixed seeds

later
wayne
 
#25 ·
Here is how I do mine:

Small dark glass vial, put a bit of dessicant in the bottom of the vial to remove any moisture , put the seeds in, store in freezer.

Baker's creek and Botanical Interest both sell good heirloom stock.

As much as I hate to say it, you should also stock some GMO seeds because you don't what growing conditions you may encounter...
 
#28 ·
I notice the pyramids seed a few times in this post. First off they were kept in a super dry climate that would be extremely hard to duplicate. Also the seeds back then were more durable since we had only started breeding them. An Apt comparison is cows. 3000 years ago they weren't so inbred and actually were self sufficient, today they are so stupid they don't even know to dig underneath snow to get at grass. Back to the original point as we have bred different species we have bred out survival traits for an increased trait in other areas - Production, fat contents, size etc.

Anyway that's my rambling 2 cents.
 
#32 ·
I am not entirely sure about 'pyramids'. Though various tombs have held seeds viable for extremely long periods of time.

I have a friend, maybe that is too strong, I know a guy, here locally, who works with a non-profit genetic seedbank. Ancient grains, some from tombs, grown to keep their genetics 'pure' and available within 'biodiversity'. He is great as a speaker at some workshops I attend.

Small scale grain production for providing off-grid homes with bread kind of workshops.

He keeps a bunch of different species of grains viable. Each year he grows plots for six different grains. Some of them he only brings out from storage once every three years, to keep cross-contamination in check.

That is his focus. Not mine, but he is great to listen to. Very much a granola cruncher. :)
 
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