storing seeds

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by tommy20/69, Dec 20, 2008.


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  1. tommy20/69

    tommy20/69 Monkey++

    how long will seeds be good for if stored?i have been thinkin of putting a whole garden of seeds in storage enough to plant a full garden for 5 years without havein to make new seeds from the vegies that i grow just in case i can't get seeds from them or something goes wrong.i wouldn't mind putting a few bottles of mirical grow on the side to with some feeding sticks also. i like them year round tomatoes that grow out the bags but i don't think they make seeds although they would be a good thing to have if they can be stored for a long time.my yard is already covered with fruit trees and grape vines and just about every other fruit you can imagine so i got that part covered.
     
  2. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    hierloom seeds(seeds which reproduce normallyare available sealed in #10 cans)

    http://www.nitro-pak.com/product_info.php?products_id=1340&gclid=CNuu9cnGz5cCFQQCagodpGhwCw

    Seed saving and exchanges will be an important skill and a"growth industry"(lol)

    Anybody know:
    Is it possible to freeze seeds for long term storage or does that killl them?Is it even necessary?I was having afield day with the vacuum packer one boring saturday got carried away and bagged up a bunch of left over seeds,tossed them in the freezer.
    And here's the answer from the link above:
    Packets sealed in the can will store for 4-5 years or more at 75<sup>o</sup>F.
    Studies done at Cornell University suggests that for each drop in storage of 75<sup>o</sup>F, the normal shelf-life
    of most seed varities nearly doubles. Seeds can be refrigerated or placed in a freezer in the can to greatly extend their shelf-life.
     
  3. tommy20/69

    tommy20/69 Monkey++

    it must be ok to freeze them because the goverments have them stored in that doomsday vault in some frozen land i think anarctica . i seen them doing this a few months ago a few other counthires from around the world was all pitching in seeds from their countries and they was all putting them in this huge ice house. they said it was incase of a neuclear attack or an end of the world thing happened. kinda makes you think with weed being ilegal i wonder if they have any of them seeds stored in there too???
     
  4. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    fromthelinkabove:
    Packets sealed in the can will store for 4-5 years or more at 75<sup>o</sup>F.
    Studies done at Cornell University suggests that for each drop in storage of 75<sup>o</sup>F, the normal shelf-life
    of most seed varities nearly doubles. Seeds can be refrigerated or placed in a freezer in the can to greatly extend their shelf-life.
    __________________
     
  5. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++

    Freezing your seeds put them suspended animation. I freeze all of my seeds. When you bring them out to use them, you have to let them come to room temp for about one week before you use them. I have never had any problems with my seeds not germinating properly.
     
  6. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    Thanks! Always good to hear from someone who's done it.:)
     
  7. WestPointMAG

    WestPointMAG Monkey++


    What kind of freezer would be better a frost free or a non frost free?
     
  8. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++

    I don't think that it really matters. My just happens to be frost free.
     
  9. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++

    It was iceland.

    If anyone is interested in doing a seed swap, let me know and I will get a list together of what I've got put away.
     
  10. tommy20/69

    tommy20/69 Monkey++

    i think you could get one of them foam coolers and put the seeds in them then freeaze them that would take care of the frost i think!!??
     
  11. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++

    You cold simply put the seeds in an envelope and place the envelope inside of a freezer bag. Just make sure to get the air out of it.
     
  12. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    I think most people over complicate seed saving. We keep our seeds in baby food/mason jars, then put the jars in a large plastic storage container. We have kept seeds like that for years with no problems. [dunno] Just keep them dry and out of sun light and they will last a long time.

    OGM
     
  13. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    The one thing I would suggest would be that if at ALL possible, start your garden now. Not just because it will save you money in the present or even just for thefact that it has it there in case its needed (think TEOTWAWKI in late summer, to late to plant so you get to wait more than a year for harvest when if it had been planted in the spring you would harvest in a few weeks or right then). The BIG reason I suggest it is that the soil will improve with gardening and your knowledge of which stuff grows in what spots also improves. I know in our 50'x50' garden for instance, there are some areas that work great for tomatoes and others where they dont do squat and same goes for most other plants each in their own spots. So even in such a small difference of spot can make a big difference and when you may starve if the garden dont succeed isnt the best time to be experimenting to find out. Also like I said, in my experience at least, a garden never produces to its full potential the first year or 2 that its been plowed/tilled, so getting the soil conditioned ahead by useing it is helpful.

    So if your already doing the garden then like OGM mentioned, saveing the seed isnt all that hard, just lay them out to dry on paper towel then toss them in a jar for next year and they will easily store for a couple of years. So you put back enouph seed each year for 2-3 years in case you have a wiped out year or need some to trade or whatever and use the old ones to barter or whatever.

    Just my slightly off topic thoughts.
     
  14. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder


    I could not agree more.[beer] One thing I would also recommend is to buy the seed savers book. Figure out what you want to grow and see what will cross with what. We have picked things that will not cross with one another so we don't need to cage anything and we get pure seed every year.

    OGM
     
  15. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++

    Companion Planting

    I have often spoken to people about the benefits of companion planting. One common theme always ran, nobody was really sure what went well with what. I then found this table, (see below), in the book 'Old Wives' Lore for Gardeners' (Maureen and Bridget Boland, Bodley Head pub), showing exactly which plants make good neighbours and which definitely do not. For example beans and peas will do particularly well together but surprisingly two other plant belonging to the same family as each other (The Solanaceae family), potatoes and tomatoes can be harmful to each other when placed together. The vegetables are numbered from 1 to 12 and herbs W X Y and rue Z. So for example if you wanted to know what went well with asparagus I could see that 11 tomatoes and W parsley will work well.

    Plant

    Helpful

    Harmful
    Asparagus

    Beans ​
    Cabbage Family
    Carrots
    Leeks
    Lettuce
    Onions,
    Garlic
    Peas
    Potatoes
    Strawberries
    Tomatoes
    Turnips
    W Parsley,
    Y Rosemary,
    mint Camomile, thyme
    X Marigolds,
    Z Rue​

    The reason marigolds (X) are planted next to some vegetables are to do with the problem of aphids. This works with any yellow flower and will attract preditorary insects that will hopefully prey on the aphids. This year I have planted a number of nasturtiums and marigolds around my plot for this very reason. The bonus with these two plants is nasturtiums are edible and marigolds can make a rather pleasant tea.
     
  16. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    HEY THEY'RE BACK!!!
    MISSED YOU GUYS AROUND HERE![beer][beer] :)
     
  17. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    I was just hoping that you would have taken a shower by now. [ROFL]

    OGM
     
  18. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    [fnny]waiting for you big guy!!:oops::oops:[ROFL][ROFL][ROFL][ROFL]:Dwg still around the homestead?
     
  19. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    Most deffinently!!!!!!

    OGM
     
  20. Bps1691

    Bps1691 Monkey++

    I have seen several threads where folks on this and other sites glibly taking about growing a garden after TEOTWAWKI. There is more to growing a decent garden than storing a bunch of seeds in the freezer and then when the times are tuff, just digging up some ground and throwing some seeds in the ground.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" />

    Sustainably gardening to feed your family at anytime requires knowledge, preparation and hard work. It would be even tougher if you don’t have the resources and tools readily available to work up, fertilize, plant and grow and preserve the food when it is critical to your survival.


    If you’re not currently skilled in gardens now and if you really want to prepare for a TEOTWAWKI, then start doing your preps now. If the SHTF doesn’t happen before this spring then grow a garden this summer- even if it is small.


    If nothing else it reduces your cost for feeding your family and you get the added benefit of actually gaining the skills of being prepared.


    I have included some reference sites for those who don’t garden and that would like to start learning how:

    Best Seed Saver book- Seed to Seed (Second Edition) by Suzanne Ashworth

    Available from several internet sites but you can also get it from the Seed Savers Exchange- http://www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=buyonline.htm


    How much land do you need to be self sufficient?


    http://thesietch.org/mysietch/greenspree/2007/07/17/self-sufficiency/


    Sources for Open Pollinated Seeds:

    Now that you’ve grown the food, how are you going to save it for winter?

    USDA Home Canning Guide- http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 29, 2015
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