How Should I Store My Seeds?

SmokeyMacPot

New Member
For uninterrupted long term storage, freezing in a vacuum pack with a dessicant is best. Each time a batch of seeds goes through a freeze/thaw cycle, a few become unviable. For storage lengths of a few years or less, room temperature storage in an airtight container with a dessicant is satisfactory. Vacuum packing with dessicant and room temperature storage is best for access without the thaw and re-freezing that kills them. The problem with using the refrigerator for any period of time is the excessive amount of moisture constantly present. Each time the door is opened, moisture condenses on items inside, for which the dessicant is an inadequate deterrent for molds. A vacuum sealed container should not condense moisture on the inside. I have no knowledge of the effective lifespan of rice as a dessicant, but it could be replaced occasionally if suspected to be losing effectiveness. Using heat to remove any moisture present in rice or other "makeshift" dessicants will improve effectiveness and longevity. I have heard of vermiculite being used as a dessicant, but would recommend silica gel as a first choice. I heard of properly stored seeds over 10 years old still germinating at acceptable rates.

Author: MisterIto
 
Had some seeds given almost four years ago which I've kept in a baggie in a wooden box and buzzing to have 4 gorgeous girls from 4 attempted! YEEHAH!
 
:ganjamon: thanks for the info
 
I have used the freezer also for pollen that I have collected. Great thread!!
 
I have frozen both pollen and seeds I produced. I moved once and am sure seeds defrosted in cross country trip. Still, just for fun I dropped 3 Jack Herer seeds I had produced when the strain first came out and hadn't been stabilized yet. So probably early 1990's. All three seed popped in a glass of water and one is growing right now. Just found out it is a male though. Trying to decide whether to harvest some pollen or not. Any thoughts?
 
I use Rice inside a small Igloo cooler I keep in the frig put some down back in 1997 and did the herijuana a few weeks ago and they going crazy now ! Been doing this for years when I come a cross some Great seed's ! Change the rice about every year !I use a hole bag of rice and put my seeds in a test tube with a stopper ! Have not had any bad ones yet ! Hope this helps out someone .Peace
 
I use Rice inside a small Igloo cooler I keep in the frig put some down back in 1997 and did the herijuana a few weeks ago and they going crazy now ! Been doing this for years when I come a cross some Great seed's ! Change the rice about every year !I use a hole bag of rice and put my seeds in a test tube with a stopper ! Have not had any bad ones yet ! Hope this helps out someone .Peace

As I said in my previous post I have been freezing seeds and sometimes pollen for years and have them in little baggies and tubes and film cannisters. Coffee can or Tupperware with rice or dissicant in them. I may need To up the amount of rice. Anyway, still have viable seeds from the 90s. I have a theory with nothing to really back it up that when frozen they think it's winter and stay asleep. Who knows, but they are frozen outdoors in nature during winter. :peacetwo:Tupperware good for storing herb for long time as when frozen no potency is lost.
 
Seams like the rice helps out some-what,Did try it with just a small bit and some of the Legons seeds never came up ! Thisis why I now use the hole 1 lB of rice ,Make sure there under all the rice and a few grains in with your beans and they will last for years ! if this help 1 person out ,Then I Happy ! Peace to All .
 
I know a guy who has literally saved seed from every good bag of smoke he's run across for over 35 years. He labels the date and origin on aspirin bottles/film canisters he stores inside of doubled up storage baggies that he keeps in a chest freezer. You couldn't get one of those seed bottles from him at gunpoint.

He grows great weed and claims much of it comes from those old seeds.

The rice is a good idea that should work w/o sterilization. Coming from an area with high humidity,it's how local folks kept their salt and sugar from clumping in the days before central heating and air conditioning. Old ladies still do it out of habit.
 
Io have some seeeds in a zip lock inside of a coffee mug which I stored in a plastic container in the fridge. Do I need to change up?
 
dry and cool place

I have found that short term refrigerator is best. Long term in the freezer with some rice or dessicant in a plastic tupperware container and whatever you have each strain in. I just popped some seed I made in the early 90's and almost everyone popped.
 
Can you imagine all the seeds in land fill right now, millions I know my trash can has seen thousands. Damn I wished I had some of them seeds, I remember some amazing lavender purple bud I would get in 94, some crazy skunk bud that would spray mist at your eyes It was compacted in to shapes a tuna can or something and I got an oz that look like a mini bread wow it was the skunkyest ever it was said to had been from Nebraska. Man I wish I had them seeds.:dreamy:
 
Can you imagine all the seeds in land fill right now, millions I know my trash can has seen thousands. Damn I wished I had some of them seeds, I remember some amazing lavender purple bud I would get in 94, some crazy skunk bud that would spray mist at your eyes It was compacted in to shapes a tuna can or something and I got an oz that look like a mini bread wow it was the skunkyest ever it was said to had been from Nebraska. Man I wish I had them seeds.:dreamy:

I had a friend bring me some Sensi Jack Herer, White Widow, Silver Haze ane Sup. Silv. Hz. these were a cross between male jack all others were girls. This was the original strain before stabilizing which led to 5 phenos. Don't be fooled by the stuff a couple of other seed companies are selling. If it's not the real thing it isn't even close it's red haze x Skunk #1 and that is not the real thing. Some of the most expensive seeds aroung, but for connoseur stuff Whoa...:peace:
 
When & how to harvest seeds?

Two questions; 1) When is the best time to harvest seeds? The plant has begun to get yellow leafs & the seed pods are abundant. 2) Should I cure it, bring the plant in hang it upside down dry it before I pull them and put them into storage?
 
I had a friend bring me some Sensi Jack Herer, White Widow, Silver Haze ane Sup. Silv. Hz. these were a cross between male jack all others were girls. This was the original strain before stabilizing which led to 5 phenos. Don't be fooled by the stuff a couple of other seed companies are selling. If it's not the real thing it isn't even close it's red haze x Skunk #1 and that is not the real thing. Some of the most expensive seeds aroung, but for connoseur stuff Whoa...:peace:

I should mention that I wasn't real clear above. I crossed the Male Jack with the others, but also made Jack seeds. These seeds are still viable and I've had them since the nineties. The five pheno statement was meant to be about the stabilized JH before that don't know how many there were. If course not all the seeds pop, but a good percentage do. They have been stored for years frozen with dessicant or rice. They did likely defrost on a couple of moves. I also meant the Red Haze x Skunk #1 is the strain that isn't real JH. Just read Sensi's description the recipe hasn't been secret for years. It's a cross of the three strongest strains known to exist at that time.
 
Re: havesting seeds you can open a few pods and look at some to see if mature. If the plant is mature the seeds likely are. I don't know if I would hang upside down as unless you have something to catch them below a number of them will fall to the floor. I recently made some automatic seeds and the two month flowering period was plenty of time and thats from germination.
 
Squeez thanks for the responce. Some of the seeds are darker and they are different sizes at times. Do they ever just open up from the shell that surrounds the seeds?
 
Squeez thanks for the responce. Some of the seeds are darker and they are different sizes at times. Do they ever just open up from the shell that surrounds the seeds?

That's why I recommended putting something under if they are hung as they dry they can open up and seeds fall out. As a rule of thumbe the darker the seed the more mature, white would be immature and useless. You will most likely have a mixture of both as they started at different times. Usually the fully mature seeds are about the same size. If a good percentage of seeds are dark you can go ahead and do your thing. You won't get every seed to mature and don't need to as you will have plenty.
 
That is what I pictured just like most other plants. I will be collecting the seeds from the smaller plants and passing up the 6-7 footers. Probably pass the tall ones onto the wild to grow. Still learning thanks again.:thumb:
 
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