Kitchen Garden Forum

I've often had difficulty in finding suitable storage containers for small amounts of saved seeds but have today found a solution. I've cut out the cellophane see-through address windows from business envelopes before recycling them, folded them in two and sellotaped the bottom and one side.

These make ideal small packets for storing small amounts of pepper & chilli seedsc. as well as small sheets of saved tomato seed which have dried & are stuck onto kitchen tissue paper. The cellophone windows have a paper rim on which you can write the name of the seed which has been saved.

I buy the small "dinner money" envelopes from the stationer and they have lines on to write details of the contents. You have to be careful not to leave a gap when sealing them up though or small seeds can escape. I keep all my seeds in lock and lock plastic boxes and label them with the different groups of seeds. Flower seed, beans and peas, brassicas, tomatoes and herbs, etc. If you make sure you put the date you packeted them up you know how fresh the seed is and can use up the older seed first, (or chuck it out). I've a couple of shelves specially for my seed boxes in the cellar which is cool and dark, so they keep very well so long as they are dried well before putting them in the plastic tubs.

We diabetics have a constant supply of small plastic cylindrical containers the test strips come in. They are air tight, but with a few holes drilled in the hinged lid. . . . perfect. Cheers, Tony.