seed saving system

Monek Marie

How do you save your seeds and how do you organize them?

I use plastic small envelopes or paper envelops. Sometimes for fun I make the envelopes (gift giving)

I used to store them in glass jars and put in a cool dark place or freeze if I felt I would not be using for a bit

I have seeds for my gardens, friends gardens, to start to sell greenhouse plants and to swap or gfive to community gardens.

The problem is I do not know how to sort them all in any logical system. Rihgt now the are in shoe boxes and that does not work

Any suggestions? ( I would really like an old library card catalog furniture piece)

Michelle D

I ordered a photo organizer from Amazon that works wonderfully. I ended up needed more than one, but it is really useful and convenient. Basically it is a large plastic bin with other smaller bins each with a slot that it fits in. The smaller containers are the perfect size for seed envelopes. I sort them by type, label each container with what seeds are in it and then keep them in alphabetical order in their slots.

Cornelius

This is something that I still need to get better at, but I have started to arrange by type and I sort by age currently. I plan to start to be more alphabetical after I do a little more organizing. I also created a spreadsheet to keep track of all of my live plants and seeds.

Michelle D

@Cornelius I like the spreadsheet idea. Right now I just have lists on paper. A spreadsheet would be much easier to manage.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

@Denise Grant This is what I use for organizing my seeds. It's a photo organizer. I have all root veggies in one, herbs in another, etc. I don't have many seeds because most of them were very, very old and no longer viable. But now that I have this I'm looking forward to expanding my supply.

Monek Marie

What was the cost @JennyT ? Love it

It would work for what I am planting now but I do have a lot of seeds.

Monek Marie

@Michelle D I

I'll look in to this too. I never thought of doing this.

O have over 2000 seed packs. Between supplying local community gardens, swapping and starting greenhouse seedling to sell I have quite the stash

Monek Marie

Old seed tip

I have several ways to start stubborn seeds and will try this for fun "Yes, I am a garden geek" So I do try starting osme of ther newer older seeds

But if ther seeds are old and I don't feel comfrotable spending time or soil on ther I throw them on the compost pile. Some will start and I have a pretty pile or the birds eat them and entertain me watching them

Michelle D

@Denise Grant You definitely have a few more seeds than I do! Maybe someday I will have that many. My inventory seems to grow each year. The organizers that I have probably hold about 150 seed packets each assuming that you don't pack them tightly. Hopefully you can find an option that works for the large scale that you are working with.

vickeym

Cornelius Would you consider sharing your spreadsheet? I am just starting the business side of my gardening and have purchased all heirloom and open pollinated seed for my garden next spring. So I am researching and figuring out how to save the seeds and track what I grow, the conditions and how it did and other information on the plants and on the seeds as well.

Hoping to learn what will work best for me, by studying and even testing what works for others.

Monek Marie

@Michelle D Seeds like to flock ;) When you have a lot its important to make sure you cycle them and use ther oldest first. I do share a lot of seeds and also look for the unusual.

I get colorful veggie varieties for children. They love to see all the color in the garden. MY philosophy is if you can get a child intersted in gardeing and make it fun they will have a passion all their life.

Monek Marie

@Cornelius I would be interested in see an example of your spread sheet too.

Monek Marie

I was lucky this year and went to an amish greenhouse where the man had a ton of Botanical Interests seed packets for 25 cents each! I went a bit crazy, lol. I bought some to share, as a birthday present and for me. He had a lot of really different seeds!

I like Botanical Interests as they have a lot of information on ther inside of ther packet on how to plant, grow and harvest. Great for a beginner. I often take the seed packet, open it up and save it for future reference

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

@Cornelius I too am very interested in your spreadsheet.

@Denise Grant WOW! That is a lot of seeds. The picture posted is from one found on Amazon. If you search photo organizer it will come up. I have seen them at stores like Walmart too, in the craft/picture frame area.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/879637#Comment_879637

@Denise Grant Here is a link from Amazon. Though I have seen them at stores like Walmart if you have something like that near you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N7N5SMR/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=hb.Z3bCDdc0QKmUekV2H5g&hsa_cr_id=9436044780201&pd_rd_r=fc084aea-2afe-44ce-a1b9-d6b7e7f290ae&pd_rd_w=ctV4K&pd_rd_wg=1WFKC&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_1_img

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/879637#Comment_879637

@Denise Grant Here is the link for one on Amazon. However I have seen them at stores like Walmart should you have some near you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N7N5SMR/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=hb.Z3bCDdc0QKmUekV2H5g&hsa_cr_id=9436044780201&pd_rd_r=fc084aea-2afe-44ce-a1b9-d6b7e7f290ae&pd_rd_w=ctV4K&pd_rd_wg=1WFKC&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_1_img

silvertipgrizz

@Denise Grant When you have time would you summarize how you tackle starting problem seeds as you mentioned above? I have a few packs that are older that I have not had room or forgot about so a little concerned that some of them might need your expertise so if and when you get time I would appreciate your methods and what you think the issue with the particular seed/s were, and what did and didn't work...

Monek Marie

@silvertipgrizz I will start on this tomorrow and probably make a new topic for it. I love the challenge of a stubborn seed.

There are certain seeds that like to be fresh. Onion is one. Carrots can be another and they say parsnips are only good for a year, but I can germinate them later.

Monek Marie

@silvertipgrizz What seeds do you have that are older and you wonder about their germination?

Its a blah weather day here and I am starting seeds so in between I will do a bit of research and dig out some of my old starting techniques

Unless a seed has gotten wet or was really stored in hot temps you can usually get them to start. Even if it 50% I will start some anyways and just make sure I save seeds for future use

And there are certain seeds that do not save for long times so If I try them its just for experimentation. Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist gardener. Push the limits 24/7 ;)

gardneto76

Did you ever find a seed saving/sorting system to use? I use an expandable file folder with the months as my sorting. The seeds are placed in the month they are planted, as I plant if I can do a succession planting I move them back to the next month. I also keep a planting calendar in there so it is super easy to see when I can plant the seed again. If I have a second packet of a seed, that goes into another drawer. That drawer has NO organization yet. I really should fix that problem too.

Monek Marie

@gardneto76 hmm, cough cough, hmmm... well, shuffling feet. I bought containers today. Shoe box size and a few smaller.

I have to sort according to variety and those I plan to swap or send out so its a double project.

I am beginning to think I need a 3 foot by 5 foot cabinet.

I belong to a seed hub that encourages people to plant gardens so I have a lot of seeds for that. I save seeds I think might become extinct. I have my seeds - which I grow really different things just because I can.

I also belong to an urban seed project that grow 15 varieties of veggies, edible flowers and mainly greens. I added tomatoes because any garden needs tomatoes. I use those seeds to help people set up a mini gardens. The purpose is to get them growing and to share those seeds with others. I give away a lot of seed and also a lot of produce from my mini garden. I use these for grow a row projects too

So I am about 3/4's through sorting my seeds. I have color coded bins for the ones I started and for this weeks seeds I need to start.

This year I have to make sure any older seeds are started or given away to someone else to start. And my 2021 seed hub package should come this week. so its sort and package then get them sent out. I have friends that help with that.

Monek Marie

@gardneto76 Sounds like a good plan.

Sharie

I put my seeds in little zip lock baggies that are similar in size to pre-packaged seed packets and label the baggies with the year.

I've separated the seeds by category: tomatoes, squashes, kales, peppers, etc. I put an elastic around each category so I can see by the first packet what they are and have them upright in a box. New and old packets are all together so it's easy to identify the older ones and see what needs to be planted first. Basic, but works for my needs in a home garden scenario.

Bigger seeds I keep in little re-usable take out salad/sauce containers with lids and label them with a sharpie. If I know there will be far too many for just my garden, I put some seeds in little paper packets to trade at seed exchanges or give away.

Lisa K

I have my seeds divided up into seeds I have gathered myself, Herbs, Medicinal Herbs, Cool Weather Vegetables, Warm Weather Vegetables unopened and Warm Weather Vegetables opened. I also have some seeds in a container that are to be planted next and seeds for sprouting which are in the kitchen. All are in sealing containers.

silvertipgrizz

@Denise Grant

my older seeds: onions, radish, carrots, a few tomato seeds that are also older..2015 ish, and peppers.

Having said that, about 4 years ago now I planted:Black Elephant and Paul Robison tomato seeds and some of the Marconi pepper seeds. They did all sprout and just fyi if anyone can find any Black Elephant seeds they are so much fun to grow and really good tasting, though Paul Rob gives them a full run for their money. The Black Elephant are very rare and very hard to find...I have not been able to find more seeds and look every winter without luck.

The one seed that has a very low germination rate..Lesya sweet pepper..I have those seeds but bought a new package with a better germination rate so I'm going to see if I can get the year old seeds to sprout and see if I can get a better germ rate bathing them in a camomile tea, but will also plant the new seeds for the crop as it is getting late in the season for peppers starting at home in my zone..

Monek Marie

@silvertipgrizz what is black elephant?

Camomile does help and so does willow water. I had a really good link on how to get stubborn seeds to sprout I will look for it today.

IOts such a (fun) challenge to get these hard to grow seeds to sprout. If I can even get one on a unique seeds I am happy and save seeds from that

Monek Marie

@silvertipgrizz

Is this Black elephant? https://croatianseeds-store.com/index.php/croatian-seeds-store/1382/32/tomatoes/dark-and-blue-tomatoes/black-elephant-chornyi-slon-tomato-detail

I saw a site that said Baker creek had the seed but so far I have not seen it

Just checked it out, eBay has them

DurwardPless

I use zip lock bags as well and a box. Crude but works well.

silvertipgrizz

@Denise Grant No the black ele is Russian:

Here is one pix: I took this pix off internet that was advertising baker creek seed for this tomato some years back. Had I known they would not be carrying any more back then I would have bought extra. I have a few seeds left and they are from 2015. I'm optimistic because I have only grown them once and that was 3 years ago..or 4? Note that they are a combo of pink, red and black. They are beautiful, and I have pix I took of the ones I grew. I will send some as soon as I can find them, and have the time to look for them. in the mean time, when I took this one I also took the side shot of the bcs label so i'll add that to this one in a few minutes.. There are some croatian black ele I have found but I do not know how they taste. To me, this one is outstanding, but you should really try the Paul Robeson that bcs still sells. It is very good rich flavor and loved by a huge following of tomato fiends lol... well it's not working so I'll send you a pix of my old seed pcket with my notes all over it lol...it'll be a while....chores to do....

silvertipgrizz

@Denise Grant Ok I just looked at your pix again and it does say Russian but those don't look anything like what I grew and the pix on the front of bcs seed pct with the black ele seeds. They look just like the pix I sent..pretty exact..even down to the split lol..

Monek Marie

@silvertipgrizz baby those few seeds you have. I bet they will sprout. I think I have started 7 year old tomato seeds.

I did find this seed but it has to come from overseas and they could not guarantee they would make it through customs so I was afraid to order them.