Storing Seeds

 

How long do seeds last? This is a question that is often ask and is quite important at this time of year (Spring) because if you use old seeds and wait a while for them to germinate three weeks growing time could easily be lost.

You can easily see the problem with this if you are hoping for early tomatoes or to get broad beans going for the kitchen. It is a fact of nature that some seeds will last years and others are only good for the year that they are bought. syngenta products

Apart from the fact of the actual 'nature ' of the seed itself; the way that your store your seeds is also quite important.

Store in a cool dry place: this is what is often written on the packet and that is just what should be done. Seeds should not be: vnr seeds

1. Exposed to damp. Moisture is one of the triggers of growth and therefore the longer you can keep you seeds dry the better. They do not need to be very dry but should be kept at a humidity level of 25-35%. To make sure that it keeps dry it is a good idea to add a little anhydrous calcium chloride, silica gel, or a few grains of rice. upl products

2. Exposed to light. Light is any of the growth triggers and it is best to keep the seeds in total darkness. This is not difficult to do; just keep them in the packet and in a tin.

3. Store in a warm house. However, what is the right temperature; this really depends on the seed but 40-45 degrees is about right form most seeds. ridomil gold

There are a few problems with the storing of seeds:

1. Your seeds can be attached with Mildew or Mould if they are not quite dry when you put them in store. This would be more of a problem with home grown seeds rather then bought seeds.

2. Hungry insects can ruin your seeds if you let them. Weevils and little borers are always on the look out.

3. Rodents will eat anything in the winter so it is important to protect you seeds from them

All of the above problems can be over come by keeping your seeds in a suitable contain, like an old biscuit tin. Do not use a glass jar because of the light and do not use plastic boxes because rodents will happily chew through that to get at your seeds. rasi seeds

There is a way to test the quality of your stored seeds; it is quite easy to perform. If you look at a seed packet, you should see printed there the legal germination percentage.

Test your seed by cutting two round pieces of blotting paper and fitting them inside sauces, damping the paper and setting out between 20-100 seeds on each. Place a second saucer on top of each and put them inside an airing cupboard or anywhere that will have a temperature of 20-27% C (68-80% F) for three weeks. The bring them out and count how many seeds have sprouted. seeds online

If your percentage is lower than the one on the seed packet, sow rather more to avoid wasting garden space. Seed testing time should start at the end of winter or the beginning of spring.