Stockpiling Seeds

[Cusingeorge]

Please forgive is this has been addressed, I'm not finding anything when I search though.

I have found many websites that tout seeds in tin cans that are good for 4-5 years.

I am having a tough time figuring out what is truly the best deal, but from my research, open pollinated seeds are what I think I am looking for.

Any favorites?

Any advice?

[Florida_boy]

There has been an outfit advertising some kind of a survival seed bank of your very own should time get rough. It seems to me that if you're wanting a hedge against tough times just buy more of whatever open pollinated type seed you normally get and keep it in the freezer. It will keep for three to four years that way and momma says I should keep all my seed in the freezer anyway. Her dad used to say it was like fooling the seed so it would think it was coming out of winter and it was time to sprout and grow so they would do better.

[AlchemyAcres]

IMHO, It's best to learn to save and store your own seeds so you don't have to depend on others!

Or, at the very least, buy bulk seed and learn to properly store it.

Freezing seed is an okay thing to do, but you need to pay close attention to detail. If the seed contains too much moisture, it can be seriously damaged or destroyed by freezing.

IMHO, the most painless way to proceed is to get some desiccant (silica gel) properly dry your seeds and store them at a cool temperature.

Seeds, when properly cared for, can, depending on the species, last for a very long time.

I'm able to maintain good viabilty on tomato seed ,that's properly dried and stored even at room temperature, for up to 10 years or so.


~Martin