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Store some Seeds
09/12/2011 - by ViAnn P.

Seeds are “programmed” to grow when exposed to light, moisture, and temperatures that fluctuate like typical spring weather. To successfully store a seed you must supply an environment exactly opposite of what would launch their internal programming.

Certainly you can’t reproduce a mini version of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (www.regjeringen.no) a facility on the Norwegian island of Spitsberg. By blasting into the permafrost mountain three chambers were built that maintain a constant interior temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius. The storage chambers themselves are reached via an access tunnel about 100 meters long.

Here, 25 national and international institutions have deposited more than 400,000 unique seed samples. Each chamber has the capacity to store 1.5 million different seed samples.

You personally don’t need that many seeds, nor do you want to store them for more than a couple years. So save yourself a few million dollars and follow a few simple steps.

In most Western climates vegetable and flower seeds may be kept for one year without appreciable decrease in germination.

If you want to store your seeds longer than that they need to be packaged so they don’t sweat. This means that paper is typically better than plastic wrap or plastic with sealed lids. Packets of seeds dropped into a wide-mouth jar and stored in the back of the refrigerator is not a bad idea. Research suggests that short-term home storage between just above freezing, to about 40- or 45- degrees is ideal.

A cool spot in the basement where temperatures stay relatively stable will probably preserve seeds so that will germinate for at least three or four years. Always save the tiny bags of silica gel that come inside new shoes. Drop this in the storage container with your seeds to absorb excess moisture.

Seeds that Store Well

Five Years

Cucumbers
Lettuce
Cantaloupe

Four Years

Beets
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Eggplant
Kale
Pumpkin
Radish
Rutabaga
Squash
Tomato
Turnip
Watermelon

Three Years

Asparagus
Broccoli
Carrot
Kohlrabi
Pea

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Seeds that Store Well

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