Seed Storage Info

Seeds That Can Be Stored For Years

We researched seeds to find the ones that germinate well after
storage.   According to the National Seed Storage Lab at Ft.
Collins, CO, seeds have three enemies:fresh air, moisture and
heat.  They have established an optimum moisture content for each
seed for long life.This ranges from 4-8%. Common seed is sold around
12-14% moisture.  Our non-hybrid seed is gently dried down, tested
and packed in cans for durable long storage. We store them in
hermetically sealed cans and adhere to strict national standards for
seed storage.

Proper Temperatures are Key

Storing your seeds in proper conditions is vital. If stored at
room temperatures, they will last perhaps 2-3 years.  For each
10°the temperature is lowered, the seed life will double:

32°  50+ years

42°  25 years

52°  12 1/2 years

62°  6 years

72°  3 years

82°  1 year

90°  and above-not recommended

The Science Behind Long Term Seed Storage

We take great pride in our long term seed storage kits of
heirloom seeds and survival seeds.  Nothing that we have seen comes near our combination of long term storage, massive seed counts, quality of heirloom seed varieties, and overall practicality of the ratios of the vegetable varieties to usability and quantity of food produced.

The process of creating our long term seed storage kits began
with correspondence with the National Seed Storage Lab many years ago.  We learned that there are three main killers of stored
seeds:  Moisture, Heat, and Air.

When considering long term seed storage, moisture is a huge
player in seed survival and viability over time. For each specific
vegetable seed, there is an optimum moisture level. This ranges
anywhere from 4-8%. In general terms, what we do is gently remove all
the water content of the seeds, while leaving all of the seed’s natural
oils. This allows the seeds to be stored longer since they can be
frozen safely, which you wouldn’t want to do with seeds that you buy
off of store shelves – these seeds haven’t been carefully dried to
their optimum moisture level.  Another advantage of drying seeds
to their optimum moisture level is that in long term storage, there is
no transfer of moisture from one seed to the next over time, which is
what you’d have if there was trace amounts of water in the seeds.

Temperature also plays a role in the survival of stored seeds

in their long term viability.  At 32 degrees Fahrenheit, seeds
can survive 50+ years and still be hearty and viable.For every 10
degrees the storage temperature raises, the life of the seed is cut in
half.  Temperature control depends a lot on you, but we’ve dried
the seeds properly so that you can freeze them without fear.

And then we have air – it also effects seed survival in long
term storage.  Long term seed storage kits must be hermetically
sealed to ensure the longest possible seed viability.  If you
allow fresh air to reach the seeds, all precautions against moisture
are lost.  Fresh air carries moisture.It also carries oxygen which
will oxidize the seeds over time.  Not every sealed container is
hermetically sealed.It needs to be made of a closed cell material, such
as glass, tin, or mylar.  Plastic doesn’t work since it is an open
celled material.Just think of the smell underneath the sink where you
store all the cleaning chemicals.  Air can penetrate
plastics.  This is why our heirloom long term seed storage kits
are packed in hermetically sealed #10 cans.

Non-hybrid. Open
Pollinated. Pure Seeds.
They offer stable eco-friendly agriculture for the family and future.