saving seeds

Discussion in 'The Green Patch' started by marlas1too, Oct 2, 2016.


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  1. marlas1too

    marlas1too Monkey+++

    was at my local hardware store and was there to buy loose seeds for next year and got a lot of their greens seeds and other green things. I put them in 1/2 pint canning jars enough to fill 3 cases. squash,cumber.greens,carrots,radishes.melons,peas.beans,tomatoes,hot peppers and herbs should have enough for several years .vacuum packed them all.will start most in the house at the end of feb. maybe will get more before next year. trying to think ahead for a hard future and be prepared.I urge all to be prepared for SHTF just look at Venezuela .the socialists have destroyed their country and the people are starving I don't want that to happen to my family
     
  2. BlueDuck

    BlueDuck Monkey+++

    Good time of the year to stock up on this last years seeds. Usually some great savings. Several times I have tested seeds 5 years or more out of date and they germinated just fine. I generally plant my new garden with new seeds because I want the best chance, but I keep a good supply of out of date seeds on hand just in case.
     
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  3. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    My wife always grows one or two of each vegetable (flowers also) not picking it and lets it grow to seeds which she uses for next year. Being from a third-world country, this is how she has always done it. Like you, she takes them and starts them in the house then moves them outside to the garden. I'm dumb as dirt when it comes to a garden and just the laborer, do as I am told so I get to eat. :) It works well as I get fresh vegetables and she gets to order me around which she loves to do. LOL!
     
  4. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    I did a test a while back on the best way to save seeds. Now this is going to sound a bit odd but 2" PvC pipe cut into 1' sections Vac Packed Radish, Paris Island Romain and Black seeded simpson lettuces, asparagus seed, broc., Scarlet Nantes Carrot, swiss chard and turnip seeds in individual vac bags stuffed them in 3 pipe sections, glued and sealed the ends. Then I buried the pipes below the frost line. Dug the first pipe up at 5 years and had 85%-92% germination. 10 years dug the second pipe up and had 70%-75% germination. last year I dug up the last pipe at 15 years and had 35%-55% germination. With the carrot seed being having the worst and the swiss chard having the best. Wish I had done a 4th pipe back then just to see what 20 years would look like. Glue held and the pipes stayed sealed, would say 10 years in stable temps, dark and dry is the cut off to still have enough viable seed to be worthwhile. Refrigerator and freezer saving seeds is a bad idea as newer units do not maintain a stable temp and cycle to defrost. Ever leave a tray of ice cubes in the freezer forever and notice when you remember them, that there is only about 1/2 of a ice cube in each hole :)
     
  5. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    @Thunder5Ranch interesting experiment. The chard did well because it is a hardier seed. Low light growing plant and can withstand colder weather. Where did you get the idea to bury seeds? Was it just to find a stable temperature place to store seeds?
     
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  6. marlas1too

    marlas1too Monkey+++

    i have taken one of those decorating Indian corn you hang on the wall mine was over 20 years old but every kernel I planted came up and the corn grew and produced ears
     
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  7. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    I watched some documentary about a seed bank in some underground bunker kind of place. If I am remembering correctly and that was like 18 years ago. About that time I started the experiment putting valuables in PvC tube and sealing it was real popular. The Documentary I do recall stressed that the stable temps with little variance was a critical factor in the long term storage. Since I did not have a multi million dollar facility the PvC pipe idea down about 5 feet where the ambient soil temp in this area is between 50-52 degrees just seemed like a good idea. I had initially thought about sinking them to the bottom of a old 25 foot deep shallow well, but there were complications with that.... Like how to retrieve them after years. I have a habit of trying things just to see what happens. My wife says this is why she will live longer than me :) For this experiment though I just wanted to see how long I could store seeds and them still be viable. I also wanted to test the PvC pipe and glue seal before putting anything of higher value in them and caching it under ground.
     
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  8. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    Corn and Beans have very long shelf lives without a lot of special care. Biggest problem with them are mice and bugs.
     
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  9. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    I discovered, recently, that there's a handful of non-GMO seed sellers on Etsy, that are offering decent prices on seeds, and, in some cases, offering them for plants you might not typically see seeds for, at your local hardware/home improvement store, or even nursery. I found 3 good ones, just by searching on Etsy for the type of seed I was looking for, and their prices trounced any sellers I'd found, on Amazon!
     
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  10. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    If you could share the links that would be great. I never look at Etsy. Think I will start now.
     
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  11. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    Okay, here's a few Etsy stores I found, along with a couple other helpful links (for places outside Etsy).
    CaribbeanGarden,We Grow Organically ! by CaribbeanGarden
    Just noticed they're offering Free Shipping On Order 50.00 or Larger , Use Code "CARB50"

    HEIRLOOMS R US SEEDS by HeirloomsRUsSeeds

    theseedhouse by theseedhouse
    Might not be all non-GMO, but they offer interesting items, like coffee plant seeds, that you might want to check out, for post-SHTF.

    RESTORATION SEEDS | Powered by Service
    Certified non-GMO, with ~60% organic

    LocalHarvest Stores
    Another "little bit of everything" online store, you might want to check out.
     
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  12. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    Nice resources! there are garden forums that have free seed exchanges

    Tomatoville is a good one
     
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  13. john316

    john316 Monkey+++

    natshare tell us the names of the 3 seeds so we can buy some or make fun of you or what ever
    were you talking about seeds or sites
     
  14. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    John, the 3 that I referred to, were Etsy sellers, not seeds. The seeds that I had been searching for, were for Anasazi beans, which a friend recently introduced me to. Rather than me trying to explain the whole story behind them, I'll let you read about them, here:
    What are Anasazi Beans? (with pictures)

    Since they're still considered "rare", as far as dry beans go, some sellers on Amazon are charging a premium price for them. My friend discovered that our local United Supermarket carries them, in a 1-pound bag, for $1.99.....while Amazon sellers are typically charging over $30 for a 10-pound lot of them!

    I figured they could easily become a staple in my preps, especially if I grow them myself, and they do well both in the ground, and (like most every other bean) in a hydroponic set-up. All I would have to do is set up a system to support them, and I'd be all set.

    Again, because they're considered "rare", seeds are going for a premium price, from some sellers. While I was originally thinking about buying some, I figured that first, I'd buy a bag of beans, and see if I can get some to germinate. If so, then seeds will be VERY cheap! (y)

    Oh, and the best thing about Anasazi beans, if you didn't catch it in the above link, is that they only offer ~25% of the gas producing chemical found in many other dry beans. I'm sure everyone around me will appreciate that aspect....including my cat!! [gasmask]
     
  15. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

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  16. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    Ganado, yes....but if you weren't aware that they aren't (or just too lazy to go look), and went on Amazon, you might think they were, with the prices some sellers have them at! The 1# poly bag, on the site you linked, that's going for $1.60, I pay $1.99 for, here at my local United Supermarket. As I'm going to try growing them (versus just buying them) to store, I figured I'd start with trying to get those to germinate first, as they're much cheaper than buying seed beans to plant. :)
     
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  17. john316

    john316 Monkey+++

    when you buy beans to plant from a food store.................you might want to buy as many different brands as you can find.................start many and keep the best..........even beans from the same brand ..bought 2 months apart might be different beans....the best would be from a local garden
     
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  18. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    I was looking at seed saving for my basil.... and ran across this site.

    It gives a couple of techniques for drawing moisture out of seed.
    Powdered milk or
    dried rice

    Storing Seeds
    How desiccation-tolerant seeds are dried and stored is very important to maintaining their viability and vigor over the long term. Drying should be gradual and thorough, and desiccants should be used when drying seeds in air above 30% relative humidity or so. During storage, seeds must be kept at an appropriate temperature and moisture levels for greatest longevity. Using a dry paper towel to dry your desiccation-tolerant seeds is very common

    Rice Drying Technique
    1. Spread enough rice to fill a canning jar 2/3rd’s full onto a baking tray. Do not grease your pan.
    2. Bake the rice at 350 degrees, for 45 minutes, or until it is bone dry.
    3. Place the still warm rice into your canning jar and tighten the lid. This prevents moisture from the air re-hydrating the rice.
    4. WAIT patiently for it to cool
    5. Once the rice is completely cool, place your seeds in a paper seed packet, muslin or mesh bag, and place it in the jar with the rice. Be sure and tighten the lid so moisture stays out.
    6. After 2 weeks in the rice jar, your seeds will have been thoroughly dried and are now dormant and ready to store.
    Powdered Milk Technique
    Powdered milk can also be used as a desiccant. Use one to two tablespoons of milk powder from a freshly opened package. Wrap the powder in a piece of cheesecloth or a facial tissue and place it in the container with the seeds. Powdered milk will absorb excess moisture from the air for about six months.

    Containers
    [​IMG]

    Plastic containers are not good for storing, neither are Ziploc bags by themselves. Plastic will allow air and moisture in. Glass containers are by far the best option for a storage container. Mason jars or the wire bale air seal glass jars have been shown to be the best seed storage container. Using foil pouches is a great addition when used to cover the seeds inside the glass jar because the foil also blocks out the light.
     
  19. john316

    john316 Monkey+++

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