What info do you jot down when saving seeds for the next year?

[Purple Strawberry]

I just purchased A LOT of new seeds that I don't need right away. I am wanting to know what information is important to write down for when it is time to plant them. Do you use a spreadsheet?


:tools

 

[farmerlor]

I just purchased A LOT of new seeds that I don't need right away. I am wanting to know what information is important to write down for when it is time to plant them. Do you use a spreadsheet?


:tools

You mean just to keep track of what you got and don't got? Yes, I keep a spreadsheet but then, I'm the goddess of spreadsheets. I section it off into categories-tomatoes, peppers, melons, etc..... and I put in a column for how many packages or even how many seeds and then I have a different column for each source and when I got it or when it was saved.
So, I got some Mom's paste seed from my friend Boo in 2005. Those babies carry over to the next sheet and the next sheet until they're used. I also keep track of how well they germinate to determine if they're getting too old to use. It's gonna look like this for this year.

Mom's Paste-7 pkgs-Boo/2005-Tomatofest/2008-mine saved/2008-Boo germ 99%-0-0

That means I have 7 packages total and I'm using only Boos seeds at this time and almost all of them are still germinating after 4 years. The last columns are for production and overall taste and use. I'll put up with slightly smaller production if the tomato is excellent in every other way, otherwise I give the seed to someone else (who may have different growing condition and get better production out of it) and I'll keep my heavier yield seeds and try a few new ones.

 

[lesa]

Gee, I just put my seeds in an envelope and write down what they are and the date...I keep them standing up in a cardboard box, which I can file through as needed....

 

[farmerlor]

Gee, I just put my seeds in an envelope and write down what they are and the date...I keep them standing up in a cardboard box, which I can file through as needed....

LOL! And there's another, much less anal way to do it!!!

 

[Purple Strawberry]

I am a little anal though so I will figure out my crazy way and post it.

 

[Purple Strawberry]

I cataloged my seeds last night and boy that was time consuming.

I got little 2oz zip lock bags and put each type of seed in them and labled them V1, V2 and so on for vegatable and then F1, F2 and so on for flowers and then H1, H2 and so on for herbs.

Then on a spread sheet I made a column for...

Category (vegetable, herb, flower & V1,H1,F1)
Variety (tomato, cucumber, mint)
Type (Beefstake, Burpless, Spearmint)
Date purchased
Purchased From
Days to Germination
Days to Harvest
Row Spacing
Plant Spacing
Planting Depth
Plant Height

and I just filled in the blanks. I put the little bags in a tin and put them in the bottom of my fridge and put the spreadsheet in my gardening journal.

I am so glad to have this done and hope that this might help others. :rainbow-sun

 

[davaroo]

I have one of those expanding files I got at the thrift store. I file seeds alphabetically in it and keep them catalogued in a very arcane fashion known as a ledger.

Its a spiral notebook, handwritten.