Where do you keep your seeds?

[journey11]

Mine are in glass jars in my detached workshop. I use the glass jars because I've had weevils destroy some that were not sealed and it protects them from moisture. It's probably better to keep them in the freezer or refrigerator to protect them from getting too warm, but I don't always do what is best.

I thought of one exception. I keep my bean seeds in the freezer in a ziplock bag. Again the weevils are my biggest concern.

Ridgerunner, I was having trouble with the weevils eating up my hollyhock seeds and found that their eggs/larvae were getting onto the seeds during the growing season while still on the plant. After you harvest the dry seeds, if you stick them in the freezer for a couple of days it will kill them off before they can chew up your seeds. It appeared that most of the damage was done as the adult weevils were burrowing their way out after feasting on the endosperm, sort of like a Mexican jumping bean larvae/moth does.

It is an added benefit letting your seeds go through the cold cycle like Smiles mentioned, outside or in the fridge/freezer. Not everything depends on it, but some seeds will not sprout without it. It is supposed to extend their viability too.

 

[earlybird10842]

Our seed packets are scattered randomly around the house. Some are in a box, some in the basement, some in the garage.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

What Lesa said.... although I did folow Smiles advice and put the seeds he sent me in a glass jar in tha garage until time to plant.
(By the way Smiles DH has a few brandywine up already.)

Hey wait a minute girlfriend. It's still January and you're still in Iowa! Did he plant them in the livingroom? Next to the fireplace?

That reminds me, I've got to get out there and finish the interior of my new greenhouse. But it's been sooooooo cold out there. It's was so cold the past few days that I actually put an electric heater in the rabbit shed. I have 15 new bunnies in there and I felt sorry for them. Ha! I'm keeping them warm to butcher them in a few weeks. Somehow that doesn't sound right. I'm getting to be an old softie.

 

[Smart Red]

Mine are in bags or baggies in a couple (or three) smaller plastic totes. Flowers in two (A-M) then (M0Z) and veggies in another bigger tote. The flowers are alphabetically ordered - That is all the A's are in one spot, the B's in the next, two spots for the Cs, etc.. The veggies are organized into like crops - all the beans in one space or huge baggie, all the lettuces, squash & melons, the root crops. Yeah, they are all sort of organized.

I do need to go through them so I don't miss planting some varieties I've forgotten I have.

Love, Smart Red

 

[catjac1975]

I store saved seed in letter envelopes. Leftovers stay in the box in which they were sent. No special care, in fact poor care, and they stay viable for many years.
I save daylily seed in open plastic containers. Then I shell them and store them in the fridge, dampened with hydrogen peroxide and water solution in a closed container for a month before planting.

 

[April Manier]

My packets of seeds were in a hat box...until recently...

...I moved them to a little plastic tote...that had a bunch of other seeds...and I stacked it next to the box that came in the mail...with the other seeds...

Now our BIG batches of seeds--the seed crops we've grown--are in 5 gallon buckets, some in 1/2 gallon pickle jars--lids tight. We keep them in the outside processing kitchen. It is not sterile or particularly dry, as the roof just sprung a leek...

I guess what I'm trying to say is that sealed is good without drastic temperature fluxuations.

 

[catjac1975]

What kind of seed do you have that you need a five gallon bucket?

 

[ducks4you]

I repackage my purchased seeds into used, clean, spice, or maraschino cherry, or pickle or jelly jars. I cut the paper package so that I can read what it is, and stuff it inside the glass to read what's inside. After the seeds have been emptied I save a complete package for instructions. I use a funnel to pour them in. I store the jars in an old, small, family desk in the dark basement. They stay dry and labelled, and I never have to clean off an old label. I used to do that, and it takes up too much time.
My favorite jars are the small spice ones and the ones that you get in the Hillfarm assortment Christmas package, with sample jellies and mustards and stuff. They are about 1 1/2" tall, and perfect for small seeds.
BTW, Menard's had 5 cent 2013 seeds a couple of weeks ago. I bought over $4 worth, and yes, I know that they're probably old. Old turnips and carrots still sprout pretty well for me.