Storing Seeds for Home Organic Gardening
Storing seeds that you got from other vegetables is a way of organic gardening from home. While there is no guarantee that your seeds will grow from storing them, you can take the extra steps to preserve them which will allow them grow like they would of in their own natural environment.
Before you begin storing your seeds, you must clean and dry them in order to preserve the seeds from any molds, mildewing or moisture. If you getting your seeds from a natural vegetable or fruit, you will have to remove the extra matter, like the cob, shell or gel coating from tomato seeds. You can save most seeds without any extra needed work, just wipe them dry and separate them from the husk or core. If you want to plant and store your own seeds, save something that you want to enjoy growing and eating. Growing your own food is an enjoyable experience.
Seed storage is one the many issues that you face when home gardening because you want to have useable seeds for next year - storing the seeds you do not use. When setting up your storage area you want to take into consideration the temperature and humidity because you want to store them in an area that has a constant low temperature and low levels of moisture. Any high levels of temperature fluctuations will reduce the amount of time that your seeds will be good for. You can even use your freezer or refrigerator or freezer because you may not need a lot of space. If you decide to place them in the refridgerator or freezer, the make sure you place them towards the back put away from the fan. You want a constant temperature and when the fan kicks on it will disburse colder air, just like when you open the door, warmer air will rush in. Ideally when you place them inside these appliances, your almost inducing hibernation in the seeds. If you want to store them for long term, use a freezer, shorter durations I would use a refridgerator. Remember any humidity can damage them and shorten their life cycle or cause them to never germinate.
When you store them, organize them into small packets and put the small packets inside a larger container. This also insulates them and protects them from any fluctuations in temperatures or any freezing that may damage the seeds. By storing them in smaller packets, it allows you to use what you want the next time you need them. You can use plastic baggies or envelopes - be sure to mark the date and type of seeds they are if you discarded the originally packing.
When its time to plant, it may be best to take the seeds you want to use and place them into another container, then into an area that is slightly warmer then the place they were originally stored a few days. This is also a good time to prepare your seed planters. If you had them in the freezer, place them into the fridge - if they were in the fridge, place them in a cool place such as a basement or cooler room in the house. This is the most difficult part because you still want to avoid the humidity issue. Not every place is exact and its hard to judge temperatures and how the seeds will react. You just want to have them stablized and give them a few days to thaw before you plant. Some seeds may do better after freezing or refridgerating, because it imitates the natural winter season.
Long Term Seed Storage for When You Want to Plant Your Seeds
Planting Seeds from Vegetables and then Storing Them
Planting Seeds from Vegetables and then Storing Them
