Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey friends,

Does anyone know how to save seeds for later years, or prolong the shelf life of seeds? I am located in an area that is pretty difficult to get many varieties of plants, so I had a family member bring a bunch of seeds from overseas for me to try out. All the packs say something along the lines of "Packed for 2014" or "Sell Before Dec 2014".

Unfortunately I don't have the space for every variety that I have now, not to mention space for the amount of seeds I have.

I am wondering if I can do something to prolong the "life" of the seeds so I can plant next year.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...

Most seeds will last for more than one year.

Seed viability informaiton -
http://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog/seed-viability-chart/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/seed-viability-zv0z1306zrob.aspx#axzz39G0QMS4K

Here's some information found online about storing seeds

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/saving-vegetable-seeds/

https://www.seedman.com/veggerm.htm

That should get you started

Thanks Scotty435 for this info. I read all the documents and haven't found anything about freezing seeds. I was once told that if you freeze seeds in a freezer you can store them for many years. To your knowledge, is this a myth?

I have moved mine into the fridge but prior to that had tried planting some 2009 pole beans in dirt. They all failed to germinate. The same beans from the 2011 crop all germinated. This was just a couple weeks ago. So they were 3 years old. I have some 2007 seeds I need to try yet.

Was that after freezing them? or where they just stored in a dry and cool place?

Well in Ohio my rental didn't have a/c so it wasn't cool. Down here in florida they have been in a south facing closet in a/c but still between 78-85 degrees. Now they are in 42 degree fridge.

Have you considered freezing them?

Yeah I've considered but I have more room in the fridge and haven't had a need yet for a garage placed freezer. I am pretty sure they freeze them at the dooms day bunker setup by the government, like the Svalbard one in Norway. Wiki claims they keep at between -18 and -.4 c and they'll last between 100s and 1000s of years

Wow, I don't think I need to store for anyway near that long, but I am glad to hear that they can be frozen. The problem is that in my area certain seeds are readily available. Had to have my brought to me from overseas.

Thanks for the info tho.

While I don't store my seeds in a freezer, my understanding is that freezing seeds does extend the viability but you have to make sure they are well dried before you do this. Water expands as it freezes and shrinks back as it thaws. This is hard on seeds and can rupture cell walls.

Does everyone know about preserving tomatoes? It is best to ferment the seeds in water for a bit before drying and storing.

I remember reading somewhere that they found some wheat seeds from ancient egypt, stored in an air tight urn. Some of the seeds managed to germinate. It does depend on the type of seed though, some are better at lasting long periods of time.

And Jay is right, the fermentation method is really easy for tomato seeds. It works well with just squirting them onto paper towels, but its annoying to pick all the seeds off once they've dried.

I use a strainer and push the pulp through while washing - then into a jar with lid and after about a week I strain again and wash - then onto a plate in a dry place