Organization and Storage of seeds

TressJ · March 25, 2015

My seed collection has grown thanks to some kind and generous TV enablers

and I would like to know how you organize your seeds, what you store them in and where you store them?

heirloomtomaguy · March 26, 2015

In 2 inch plastic bags inside 2.5 inch by 3.5 inch coin envelopes in alphabetic order in baseball card sleeves in a binder. Wow what a run on sentence.

KarenO · March 26, 2015

pocket style photograph albums work well. I have one for cherries, one for dwarfs, one for hearts....etc etc etc. for my personal tomato seed collection. For larger amounts, larger packages and larger seeds I have 2 Rubbermaid stackable plastic storage drawer things. works for me.
KarenO

joseph · March 26, 2015

My seeds are stored in the seed room.

And in the kitchen freezer, and in the downstairs freezer, and in the garage, and in the truck, and on the kitchen tables, and under the computer desk, and in the master bedroom, and in the spare bedroom, and at my mother's and in the barn, and at my brothers, and in the shed, and in the garage, and in the truck, and in the jeep.

They are stored in bins, and boxes, and bags, and sacks, and trays, and tubs, and tool-boxes, and mason jars, and bowls, and ammo cans...

Bulk seeds are mostly stored in glass jars with steel lids. Small seeds like tomatoes are mostly stored in plastic zip-lock bags.

There ain't no database, nor list... I tend to put like things together. So all the tomatoes that I want to plant in about 3 weeks are in the same ziplock bag together. The beans that I want to plant this year are all in the same tote.

I have a few totes that are "Not going to plant". They are older seed from my breeding projects, or things people sent that I trialed and didn't like, or junk from swaps, or great stuff from swaps that I don't want to plant.

TressJ · March 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by joseph

My seeds are stored in the seed room.

And in the kitchen freezer, and in the downstairs freezer, and in the garage, and in the truck, and on the kitchen tables, and under the computer desk, and in the master bedroom, and in the spare bedroom, and at my mother's and in the barn, and at my brothers, and in the shed, and in the garage, and in the truck, and in the jeep.

They are stored in bins, and boxes, and bags, and sacks, and trays, and tubs, and tool-boxes, and mason jars, and bowls, and ammo cans...

Bulk seeds are mostly stored in glass jars with steel lids. Small seeds like tomatoes are mostly stored in plastic zip-lock bags.

There ain't no database, nor list... I tend to put like things together. So all the tomatoes that I want to plant in about 3 weeks are in the same ziplock bag together. The beans that I want to plant this year are all in the same tote.

I have a few totes that are "Not going to plant". They are older seed from my breeding projects, or things people sent that I trialed and didn't like, or junk from swaps, or great stuff from swaps that I don't want to plant.

That works

Tormato · March 26, 2015

Disorganization and storage of seeds is my method, but I'm not going to explain what I do and don't do, other than 2x3 zip baggies with pink labels inside, as any more would likely confuse those that do and maybe even those that don't organize, and it would also add to a run on sentence longer than that of heirloomtomaguy, who may be able to figure out one of the ones who put in the word for that seed collection, and may want to contact me as to what to do with the bulk packs of seeds in that collection, and before I get into too much thread drift, what was this threads focus on, again?

Gary

heirloomtomaguy · March 26, 2015

Thanks for the good work Gary. Will do as soon ad it arrives. It was supposed to come yesterday but did not. Im on a small vacation for 2 days so im sure it will be there when i get home on Saturday that is after i make a quick stop at the tomatomania at Descanso gardens. You know just to look.

MacDuff · March 27, 2015

Last year i ended up with ten cherry/pear plants and two Big Beef. This year I'm not going to lose track again. I took a stack of plastic labels , drilled a hole, put a bolt in and I have a fan, I put a number on each one. When I plant seeds I print a label and put it on one of the tabs. I put the number on another label and stick it into the seed tray. When i transplant i can just make up more ltags witht the number on it for each transplant. I also cut up a floor tile into three inch squares with a hole so that I can hang it onto the bucket (RGGS) with the number on it- it should help with a half dozen different tom and peppers.

PA_Julia · March 27, 2015

My seeds are kept in coin envelopes and small plastic zip lock bags and placed in a wooden box that has different compartments.

ddsack · March 27, 2015

All my seeds, whether in ziplocks, coin envelopes or commercial seeds packages, are further enclosed in a large letter envelope per variety. That way I can keep all sources and years for each variety together. Add a second envelope when needed if there is overflow. Lots of room for notes on the outside of the envelope as to the contents. Filed alphabetically in a large plastic tub with tight cover. Since all the envelopes are the same size, there is nothing to flop around and fall between the cracks.

danwigz · March 27, 2015

I use small zip lock bags, write on the outside whats in it, and then put those bags into empty peanut butter jars, close the lid and set them in the back of my fridge. Nice thing about the peanut butter jars I have labeled whats inside, however it can be kind of a mess to dig through a number of them if I'm only trying to find one kind.

Father'sDaughter · March 27, 2015

I use small ziplock bags with write-on blocks for labeling with all the stats (name, year, source, color, shape, etc).. If I have seeds of the same variety from multiple years or different sources, they each get their own little bag and they get taped together with blue tape.

Then I put the little bags into quart-sized ziplocks divided into categories -- cherries, earlies, small slicers, mid-size slicers, large slicers, and pastes.

The quart bags go into a plastic food storage tub that lives in the back of the fridge.

So far this is working for me.

bughunter99 · March 27, 2015

1. Open seed envelope and retrieve seeds.
2. Close seed envelope and toss in ginormous shoe box.
3. Sore box on floor of closet

Next season joyously empty entire box on bed and select the candidates.
Toss envelopes of repeat spitters.

I still have good germination rates so so far, so good.

GaryStPaul · March 27, 2015

This year I organized about 158 varieties, some as old as 8 years, into screw-top plastic containers held in covered trays, labeled by variety, source, and year. These stay in a dedicated fridge kept at 40° and 40% humidity (using desiccant crystals). I like this method of organization; I hope the constant temp and humidity will help with seed viability over time.

Gary

Gardeneer · March 29, 2015

Mine are in individual bags all cramped in a recipe box, somewhere in the house.

I have had some seeds out in the shed and they germinated fine. few days ago I sowed some Fenugreek seeds that were in the shed for couple of year. They are germinating.

Of all the seeds I know allums are time sensitive.

March 25, 2015	#1
TressJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Utah Posts: 51	Organization and Storage of seeds My seed collection has grown thanks to some kind and generous TV enablers and I would like to know how you organize your seeds, what you store them in and where you store them?

March 26, 2015	#2
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	In 2 inch plastic bags inside 2.5 inch by 3.5 inch coin envelopes in alphabetic order in baseball card sleeves in a binder. Wow what a run on sentence. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

March 26, 2015	#7
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Thanks for the good work Gary. Will do as soon ad it arrives. It was supposed to come yesterday but did not. Im on a small vacation for 2 days so im sure it will be there when i get home on Saturday that is after i make a quick stop at the tomatomania at Descanso gardens. You know just to look. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Last edited by heirloomtomaguy; March 26, 2015 at 10:58 PM.

March 27, 2015	#9
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	My seeds are kept in coin envelopes and small plastic zip lock bags and placed in a wooden box that has different compartments. __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013

March 27, 2015	#10
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	All my seeds, whether in ziplocks, coin envelopes or commercial seeds packages, are further enclosed in a large letter envelope per variety. That way I can keep all sources and years for each variety together. Add a second envelope when needed if there is overflow. Lots of room for notes on the outside of the envelope as to the contents. Filed alphabetically in a large plastic tub with tight cover. Since all the envelopes are the same size, there is nothing to flop around and fall between the cracks. __________________ Dee **************

March 26, 2015	#3
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	pocket style photograph albums work well. I have one for cherries, one for dwarfs, one for hearts....etc etc etc. for my personal tomato seed collection. For larger amounts, larger packages and larger seeds I have 2 Rubbermaid stackable plastic storage drawer things. works for me. KarenO

March 26, 2015	#4
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	My seeds are stored in the seed room. And in the kitchen freezer, and in the downstairs freezer, and in the garage, and in the truck, and on the kitchen tables, and under the computer desk, and in the master bedroom, and in the spare bedroom, and at my mother's and in the barn, and at my brothers, and in the shed, and in the garage, and in the truck, and in the jeep. They are stored in bins, and boxes, and bags, and sacks, and trays, and tubs, and tool-boxes, and mason jars, and bowls, and ammo cans... Bulk seeds are mostly stored in glass jars with steel lids. Small seeds like tomatoes are mostly stored in plastic zip-lock bags. There ain't no database, nor list... I tend to put like things together. So all the tomatoes that I want to plant in about 3 weeks are in the same ziplock bag together. The beans that I want to plant this year are all in the same tote. I have a few totes that are "Not going to plant". They are older seed from my breeding projects, or things people sent that I trialed and didn't like, or junk from swaps, or great stuff from swaps that I don't want to plant.

March 26, 2015	#6
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	Disorganization and storage of seeds is my method, but I'm not going to explain what I do and don't do, other than 2x3 zip baggies with pink labels inside, as any more would likely confuse those that do and maybe even those that don't organize, and it would also add to a run on sentence longer than that of heirloomtomaguy, who may be able to figure out one of the ones who put in the word for that seed collection, and may want to contact me as to what to do with the bulk packs of seeds in that collection, and before I get into too much thread drift, what was this threads focus on, again? Gary

March 27, 2015	#8
MacDuff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: MA 5 So. Shore Posts: 17	Last year i ended up with ten cherry/pear plants and two Big Beef. This year I'm not going to lose track again. I took a stack of plastic labels , drilled a hole, put a bolt in and I have a fan, I put a number on each one. When I plant seeds I print a label and put it on one of the tabs. I put the number on another label and stick it into the seed tray. When i transplant i can just make up more ltags witht the number on it for each transplant. I also cut up a floor tile into three inch squares with a hole so that I can hang it onto the bucket (RGGS) with the number on it- it should help with a half dozen different tom and peppers.

March 27, 2015	#11
danwigz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 150	I use small zip lock bags, write on the outside whats in it, and then put those bags into empty peanut butter jars, close the lid and set them in the back of my fridge. Nice thing about the peanut butter jars I have labeled whats inside, however it can be kind of a mess to dig through a number of them if I'm only trying to find one kind.

March 27, 2015	#12
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	I use small ziplock bags with write-on blocks for labeling with all the stats (name, year, source, color, shape, etc).. If I have seeds of the same variety from multiple years or different sources, they each get their own little bag and they get taped together with blue tape. Then I put the little bags into quart-sized ziplocks divided into categories -- cherries, earlies, small slicers, mid-size slicers, large slicers, and pastes. The quart bags go into a plastic food storage tub that lives in the back of the fridge. So far this is working for me.

March 27, 2015	#13
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	1. Open seed envelope and retrieve seeds. 2. Close seed envelope and toss in ginormous shoe box. 3. Sore box on floor of closet Next season joyously empty entire box on bed and select the candidates. Toss envelopes of repeat spitters. I still have good germination rates so so far, so good.

March 29, 2015	#15
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,918	Mine are in individual bags all cramped in a recipe box, somewhere in the house. I have had some seeds out in the shed and they germinated fine. few days ago I sowed some Fenugreek seeds that were in the shed for couple of year. They are germinating. Of all the seeds I know allums are time sensitive.