What is the best way to store seeds?

[WiseOwl]

I have been gardening for 7 years now and really got serious in the last 3. I usually keep all my seeds wrapped up in a desk drawer together. What I mean by wrapped up is the pack is folded up and bundled together with a rubber band. I have reused them for a couple of years now. When do they start to become weak? Or is there a way I can pack all of my seed packs into a container or something of the sort, that I can keep seeds for years to come, even the unopened packs and the ones I retain from the harvest? This past year was the first year I retained pepper, squash and cu***ber seeds. Any input would be great yall!

Wise Owl

[monkeybird]

I've read several articles that tell you to freeze your seeds. I made sure mine were properly dried, packaged them in waxed paper, then in brown bag. I put the entire package in a plastic bag and froze. I'll let you know next year. I also brought a container of "survival seeds" good for a minimum of 7 years which are in the freezer.

Anyone ever actually use frozen seeds????

[Matt In Oklahoma]

My Grandfather was a farmer who raised cantalope, watermelons and peanuts. He always froze his seeds after cleaning them for next years crop. He wrapped them in paper and then put them in a plastic container mainly just to protect them from damage from other items in the freezer. Only once in my life do I remember them not growing well and him having to buy new seeds.
I have used seeds just left laying around in packages for up to 2yrs if they stay dry. I have not tried beyond that mainly because I use them all up.

[Lowdown3]

Depends on the seed, some having a better longevity than others.

Do NOT pack them in an oxygen free environment- seeds do RESPIRE after all. A lot of folks forget that part....

[Triple-sod]

If you keep seeds in just a dry, dark place, most will last a good few years at least, before you see a noticeable decline in germination rates.

As others have said though, it’s very dependent on the particular seeds. Like for parsnips you may only get 2 years where as with cucumbers and melons it’s more like 10

[ridgerunner]

I hate to hotlink on another person's website, but I just don't have the time to retype all of this.

For the complete article with germination rates:
http://www.vintageveggies.com/information/storing.html

When storing your seeds, be sure to keep them consistently cool and dry. Temperature and moisture are the primary factors that cause seeds to lose their ability to germinate.

Excessive seed moisture increases its respiration rate, can contribute to the growth of micro-organisms, attract insect attack, and reduced viability. Most commercial seeds are dried to less than 10% moisture soon after harvest and held in dry storage during packaging and distribution.

Like moisture, temperature has an influence on the seed's respiration rate. As the temperature increases, so does the respiration rate.

For short-term storage (one year to eighteen months), storing seeds at 35 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and an air relative humidity of 30 to 40% is desired. The rule of thumb for good seed storage conditions is when degrees F + RH >= 100; the further you can go below 100, the better

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