Storing Seeds

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Colin2016
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Read that best to store seeds in the fridge using a sealed glass container.

As this for an old book possibly before the abundance of plastic containers wonder if a sealed plastic box is a s good.
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oldherbaceous
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I always use plastic containers, and they work very well.
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Primrose
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I use two deepish plastic containers with clip on lids so all thenpackets can stand upright but if I stored them in the fridge there wouldn,t be room for much food. I usually store them in a cool garage but afraid they've been in a warm living room for weeks waiting for me to find time to go through the boxes and have a good sort out, putting the packets back in alphabetical order. Whether a higher temperature will have affected the seeds' long term life I have no idea. Possibly!
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So quick reply appears to be available on "Advice for Beginners" forum

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I somehow can't imagine the big seed companies keep theres in fridges - or do they? I know the seed libraries do as I've seen that on the tele, but that's saving species, not commercial. The garden centres don't, theres are just out on the racks. Is it really necessary to put them in the fridge? Maybe this needs to go to 'Ask the Team'?

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I make sure theseeds are very dry, pack them in paper envelopes (the little dinner money envelopes are handy), then store them in lockable plastic tubs in the cellar so it is coolish and they last for ages. I don't think they need to be as cool as the fridge 5° ? to keep well. I recently bought some that said store below 18° so a cool shed or somewhere cool in the house should be fine.

It's a combination of low moisture content and storage temperature that keeps them viable and of course the age of the seeds.
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dan3008
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I have to agree with plum. Thats exactly what I do (only I dont have a cellar, so I keep them in a cool cupbard
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Johnboy
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My seeds are stored in plastic ex medicine containers with a Silica Gel capsule labelled and are in ex lattice type stackable mushroom boxes and are housed in our old dairy which is unheated and is on the exposed north corner of my house. I have kept them in this fashion for many years and have never had any problems.
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KG Emma
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This little thread is being used our Last Word in the March issue. We have had a reply from Thompson and Morgan about how they look after their seed. In cool stores at 10-12C and 25% humidity. Peas and beans are just kept at ambient temperature. See the Last Word feature in our March issue for more information.
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Thank you Emma!

That should be an interesting read, we could probably replicate the temperature but the humidity will be beyond our control!

Have you had any feed back from the readers whether they like Last Word? I think there have been a few more readers but not contributors, although we now have a few more friends on here asking great questions too!
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oldherbaceous
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Oooooo Emma, how exciting..... :wink: :)

Then the big seed companies send lots of their seeds to the garden centres, to get dried out in the baking heat.... :)
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Pa Snip
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oldherbaceous wrote:Oooooo Emma, how exciting..... :wink: :)

Then the big seed companies send lots of their seeds to the garden centres, to get dried out in the baking heat.... :)


Heyup OH

I don't know much about the condition (cough cough) but do I detect you are suffering a degree of cynicism there :lol:

T'is perfectly true though, its all very well seed companies keeping seeds at appropriate temperatures but in retail outlets they risk getting warm or damp from condensation (thank goodness for foil packs in the case of the latter) or even a combination of both.

I look forward to reading the feature, should be interesting

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
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I try to sow most of my seed each year and don't save much, but what I do save is in their packets, not in a box nor in a fridge, guess I've been lucky in the past just leaving them in the shed.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
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OH & Pa - what a team!

Good job the seed company's prepare them well then if that fate awaits! Our garden centre has there's in a nice position to prevent boil in the bag, but expect that is more to position them into the area with the most foot fall than any consideration for the seeds. Good job most of us buy direct off the suppliers then!!
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Pa Snip
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At the end of each season at least one large garden centre chain throws all the leftover seed packets into large tubs or boxes and sells them off at 50p per pkt its almost scrum like at time watching people throwing seed pkts around trying to find what they want..

Pass on where they have been stored so its hardly surprising you sometimes hear " I got bargain, xyz are selling end of season (or out of date) seeds cheap"

Followed a few months later at the beginning of the new season by

" I don't understand why my seeds haven't germinated"

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
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