How to Store Your Seeds and Get Organized
If you are anything like me, you might have a healthy obsession with collecting seeds. I have over 120 different varieties. it may be a problem! So to indulge myself and actually get to use all these seeds, I have to be pretty organized. I have created a system that works wonders in helping me plan out my garden. Let me show you how to do it!
Don’t forget to watch the accompanying YouTube video here to see more in detail!
How to Store the Actual Seeds
The number one thing to remember in storing seeds is to keep them dry and cool. Moisture and warmth are the enemy; they will cause your seeds to sprout or mold and rot. No matter what way you wan to do it, remember to keep them in a cool, dry place. I store mine in my office inside my home.
Now when you buy seeds, they will come to you in a packet already dried out and ready for storage. If you are collecting seeds from your own garden, you will need to do the process of drying them out yourselves. Most seeds will be ready to store anywhere from 5-7 days after harvest if they aren’t dried already on your plant.
Since I have SO many different varieties, and I like to check on them periodically to make sure they aren’t spoiling, I chose to store mine in plastic jewelry containers. This is something similar to what I have. I like that these don’t take up a lot of room, but are big enough for most of my seeds. The ones I have have a few different sizes for my larger seeds or larger seed collections. I have 4 boxes and each one is labeled 1-4 and each container inside the box is labeled 1-28.
I have seen people use a ton of different similar storage methods to this one, but I found these to work the best for me.
Keep the Seed Packets!
In my seed storage above, the seeds are not kept with the packets. I have all of my packets stacked in a small cardboard box and organized by company. You want to save the packets in case you need to reference the planting/growing recommendations on the back. Some people store their seeds still in the packets or keep the packets in a jewelry box that has larger containers. Who cares how you do it, but keep the packets!
Create a Master Organization List
This is probably the piece that really saves me in my garden planning and execution. I have every seed, bulb, corm, etc that I have in storage on this list, including ones from the past that I have used up or no longer use. It is organized into two lists: edibles and non-edibles (mostly flowers) and alphabetized. There are multiple columns for each entry:
- Plant Name
- Variety
- Company
- Year
- Storage (container location if applicable)
- Where it was planted each year
Mine are organized this way for several reasons. I like to see all the varieties of a plant all at once so I know what I have or don’t have for planting. I also keep on the list any past varieties that I don’t use anymore. This is to remind me not to buy them again (maybe they didn’t grow well or tasted poorly). The year I bought or harvested them is noted because some seeds last 1-2 years and others can last 5+. You want to keep track of this so you aren’t planting old non-viable seeds and are disappointed. I also note where I plant each one every year, so I can stay on top of crop rotation for my vegetables and note how well or poorly things grew in a certain area.
Well, that is it garden friends! I hope this is helpful to get your seeds organized so you can spend less time hunting things down and more time enjoying the growing season! Be sure to watch the full YouTube video for a more in-depth look. And be sure to check out my blog post here about how to start seeds indoors.
Happy gardening!
Dani