How to Save and Store Seeds

Saving and storing garden seeds are important skills for all gardeners. It's easy to collect seeds from your favorite garden plants to grow again and to store extra seeds from seed packages. Gardener Scott discusses how to dry seeds, considerations for selecting containers, the importance of temperature and humidity, and much more. (Video #224)
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[@garrett961]

Hi I’m thirteen and I love gardening.I have a big passion for gardening.I just did a video on my KZbin channel about plants that you can save seeds from.since it’s winter where I am there’s not very much do to your garden for me because of how cold it’s getting hear.happy gardening

[@GardenerScott]

That's awesome, Garrett!

[@garrett961]

@@GardenerScott thanks 😊!!

[@citrus4419]

Hey Garrett, don’t let anyone put you down because you like gardening. Enjoy it and do what you like because what others say doesn’t matter! Keep being you! :)

[@garrett961]

@@citrus4419 I will thanks for the advice.

[@bobdavis874]

Great skill set to develop, good on you

[@montiago123]

Sir, you speak slowly and mindfully explain on all the points you said. You are a good educator and I learn many things from you. Thank you for kindness and sharing. Keep up the good work and thank you so much.

[@gwendyrose8905]

I save ALL of my prescription bottles! I use them for beads, but I like to put my seeds in them, too. They are usually amber, which helps to keep the light down, semi-clear so I can still see what's in them, & plastic so you don't have to worry as much about dropping them as you do glass containers. Plus, they don't cost me any extra money. 😊 I can still label them & then put them in a box so they are out of the way.

[@sherriduffy-king8659]

Those are good. Plus they have child lock so kids wont be able to open them and get into them. Kudo's my friend 💙

[@donnafernandez8735]

Is that ok to use plastic prescription bottle I have so many!

[@gwendyrose8905]

@@donnafernandez8735 I've used them for several years now with no issues. The only minor issue I have is that they do take up some space. But, I just put the bottles in a cardboard box so I have them all in one space. I get the feeling I'm going to need another box very soon, though. ;)

[@Yankeesista203]

Just in time!! I have 2 Heirloom Boston Pickling yellow cucumbers that I wanted to save the seeds! Thanks, as always, for the thorough explained useful tips! Have a great day!

[@lunatick1969]

I recently purchased photo organizers and they work great. I also purchased a label maker and that helps to make it organized. Thanks Gardener Scott for your time and expertise.

[@Troy_ZJuice_Man]

I just stumbled upon you today and I can’t stop watching! I appreciate all your content 😁

[@coryheckler2354]

Thank you Scott! I am a 5th yr novice gardener. I've learned a lot till now. Your vid has helped me as a few others others in seed saving. Thank you sir!

[@everybodyluvsmonkeys]

I've have these photo storage containers in my Amazon cart for a while Planning to store seeds in this as well.

[@justagirllookingup]

this is what Im doing too and works well. Big enough to hold quite a bit!

[@MinnieAcresFarm]

I definitely fight humidity here in Florida but I do put little desiccant packets in with my seeds so I'm glad I'm on the right track there 😁

[@arisedaughter]

Brilliant! I've been saving these packets for the zombie apocalypse so, this is a great idea until then.

[@parks51998]

Thanks Gardener Scott, I have always appreciated the way that you give advice in your videos: "this is the way I do it". Not this is how you should do it or other ways are wrong. I recently complete the initial classroom requirement for becoming a master gardener in part due to your channel. Thanks for all you do.

[@Lynda5876]

Omg yesterday I was at Michaels and bought the same plastic seed storage container for 30% off! Today I’m organizing with my label maker. 😂

[@lovealwaysjasmine]

Nice! How much was it

[@Lynda5876]

Love always Jasmine they are normally $42 and I picked it up for 29. Sorry to get back to you so late.

[@theresakoch3738]

Walmart has them for $14.99

[@dorittalbi3209]

Thank you

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

We have a stack of empty seed packets that we can just write over with a sharpie and fill with newly saved seeds. Some plants furiously self-seed and when you have a lot of them, consider using them for sprouts or as a cover. We end up with a ton of radish seeds, and often the hybrid doesn't make food the way we want it to, so using them for sprouting or to cover pathways, we save space for more useful seeds and still use them well. We also seed the lawn with fast growing brassicas, as they are made for succession from grassland to forest, so they do fine until we need to mow, at which time they are harvested for their leaves~

[@DIGardening]

Thank you for the tip on drying after removing from the pods. I have a high humidity area and need to take more steps

[@Jeff-rd6hb]

I do similar things. For everything I planted this year the seed packets(partial or empty) are double bagged in a gallon freezer bag, clearly labelled with the planting year, in a plastic box in my unheated shop. This time of year they're basically in a refrigerator, lol. Seeds I've saved from this year's crop are completely dried, then put into paper envelopes inside a different freezer bag and clearly labelled, and again put into a plastic box in the shop. By doing this I've found most types of seeds will remain viable for many years. Great tip on the desiccant. I need to save those things and repurpose them.

[@SpicyMoustache]

Lovely tips Scott, thank you so much for sharing!

[@mskitty666]

I got one of the photo case storage boxes myself for this season (just starting here in Australia) I love that if the seeds spill they're atleast in the same box so I have a rough idea what they are I do really need to work on where I keep them, far to often my seeds have been left for weeks in my sunroom 😅

[@Angie-ci1lp]

Good to see you looking healthy 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@lisakelley9451]

Excellent presentation. Thanks so much! Also, thank you for the link to the plastic photo box and the info on the book. (Can we ever have too many books? LOL) Blessings....

[@taxigirl5637]

In Colorado we regularly have 8% humidity so that’s one thing I don’t really have to worry about

[@OakKnobFarm]

Perfect timing for this video! This is my first year saving seeds, and I have a dozen paper bags of seeds in the basement that need to be packaged up.

[@greggdehner3078]

Thank you for this Scott. Not having a great day, but just listening to you talk about saving seeds for next year has me looking optimistically to next year's garden. Have also been looking for a new storage option (currently saving them all in a tool box, which works, but doesn't keep them well organized). The photo storage box looks like a great idea!

[@ggstorm9777]

Been very ( down) trying not to spend on unnecessary things too. I got the clear boxes and spent a whole day labeling and organizing it while playing garden videos...highly recommend for a mood booster💜

[@mrjasonjneal]

I use Tins and Jewelry Bags

[@janepickle4762]

Thanks for all this information, I needed this.

[@mrjasonjneal]

Great Scott!

[@unapologeticvegan]

Thank you gardner Scott!

[@kimiyemlsmallgardendream8115]

Another great video. Perfect timing❤️

[@joannecordone6831]

I have three of those photo boxes. Love them for organizing my varieties.

[@itsallaboutlight]

Great timely information. Thank you 🙂

[@marycampbell4160]

Great ideas about seed saving

[@kcs.farm09]

I ordered the book. Can't wait to get it!!

[@kevinerose]

I am planning to start my garden again next spring. I searched my garage for gardening tools I bought the last time I started to plan a garden. I found the tools and also 2 bags of seeds in the garage likely 6 years old from my last attempt. One pack of radish seeds and one pack of flower seeds. I have no patience, so I went out and bought a 16 bin seed starter and planted half and half last weekend. I didn't really expect they would still be viable seeds but 1 week later, and several of the radish seeds have now sprouted. 4 of the 8 on the radish side have come up so far. The other side I have nothing to show yet. The packet with the radish seeds was actually opened some 6 years ago, so I really didn't expect them to come up. It was a nice surprise today to see them bursting out.

[@justagirllookingup]

Ooh I like your bin idea even better! It can certainly get out of control.

[@nicholaspolatidis5783]

thank you scott

[@earacheselbowsenoch6251]

Cool stuff.

[@donnafernandez8735]

Thank you for sharing!! Enjoyed your video❤

[@brightantwerp]

Thank you very much!

[@leslienichols5268]

Thanks Gardner Scott! Just ordered the book through your link!

[@ericdee2525]

in for seed packets and organizer. thanks gerdner scott :)

[@atik]

Thank you for providing useful knowledge,how to save seeds

[@darleneclark6098]

Jess at roots and refuge told us about that same plastic box. I ordered mine last spring and I love it. It's almost full now. Gonna have to get another one.

[@amymorales4622]

Very helpful video. I will look into the photo box for the seeds I save myself. I use a plastic am mo box for the commercially available packets. Besides being the right shape and size to organize packets upright, it has a good seal to keep water and light out, and it has a convenient handle.

[@pamt8430]

We have tried to grow watermelon for several years with no success. I found a pack of Moon and Stars seeds in a junk drawer and planted the 11yr old seeds. We didn't get anything because I didn't water them enough (water is expensive here.). They grew, had small melons but nothing to harvest. We are still getting volunteer plants 3 yrs later.

[@theresakoch3738]

I just bought the seed saving book from Amazon. Thanks!!

[@lindakangas1045]

I've been using zip lock freezer bags and putting them in the refrigerator. Glad I was doing it right, but I now have so many pkgs of seeds I want/need that container. Thanks again for all the great ideas.

[@widowswatch6610]

You should check the information on putting them in the refrigerator. I just watched a video from a good source and the lady said no refrigerator.. It seems most say no refrigerator... I am just learning myself

[@starshot5172]

Another good way of sorting them, is punching holes in a piece of cardboard, writing the letters A B C D E etc and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 etc on the sides. You can put plastic vials in the holes and label them. I use cilindrical 10mL containers from AliExpress. You can label them and make a table in an Excel document to easily see where everything is. The nice thing about the vials is that the lids stop them from falling through the holes. This storage method is good for if you have a lot of different varieties that you are going to grow. The capsules are see through as well

[@amandavhb1630]

I love the seed envelopes!! I also use them to give away my dried herbs! I also put blue tape on my seeds that need to be planted in cold weather or need cold to germinate.

[@linklesstennessee2078]

Good seed saving information Scott

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks 👍

[@j.b.6855]

Great tips. I started saving seeds this year from my garden. I found one of the plastic cases with inner plastic boxes on sale at a local craft store. It was about $10 and the inner boxes are different colors. So far I have only filled a little less than half of it. Im sure I will run out of space eventually, and I will look for another one like it.

[@Adnancorner]

Love your channel =)

[@sister_num7516]

Thank you for teaching. I try to reuse things on hand so used medication bottles which store well inside a spinach container. Then I put them in file cabinet drawer. Smaller seed go in envelopes company's send hoping for a return order. These also fit well into spinach container.

[@jimjam36695]

What's a spinach container?

[@sister_num7516]

@@jimjam36695 In the grocery store they sell spinach in bags, but also in plastic containers that you can reclose. Sometimes lettuce will be sold in these containers as well.

[@lar113]

Thank you for the wonderful advice. I really liked how you stressed the importance of drying the seeds before storage and maintaining the dryness. For me, when in doubt about the dryness of the seeds, just wait longer. Believe me, is it very disappointing to discover in spring that the seeds were destroyed by mold over winter.

[@michaelstlouis2472]

opp's asked to soon on how to store in you last video. now watching how to store them

[@DIGardening]

Harbor Freight sells cheap ammo boxes that are perfect for seed envelopes. It keeps critters out and moisture.

[@johnjude2685]

I put mine in a van for about a week hope it dehydrated them. Still learning here.

[@jeffdinter600]

I tried to use medicine bottles, along with the coin envelopes

[@havok9717]

I leave my seeds in a room with a dehumidifier. Louisiana humidity will ruin a batch of seeds in no time flat!

[@amystewart9818]

Where did you get those seed packers! My kids have been enjoying helping me make them, but that looks helpful...

[@GardenerScott]

I use ones like these; amzn.to/3L1K7oV

[@christiensgarden3325]

Great videos, what growing zone are you in?

[@GardenerScott]

I'm in 5b

[@moshe1222]

My wife and I are on a number of daily prescriptions, most of which are issued in those plastic, amber-colored (and sometimes green) pharmacy vials with the child-proof caps. Would you consider those to be good containers for seed storage?

[@GardenerScott]

Those are great for small amounts of seeds.

[@geriannroth449]

So would you recommend me storing my tropical fruit tree seeds like those of the Abiu, Star apple, Java plum etc in rge fridge as opposed to a cupboard or plastic tote?

[@GardenerScott]

I don't store much in the refrigerator because cool temperatures are good for most seeds.

[@kathynelson3840]

Can you use a dehydrator

[@XavierIsraelMatamoros]

I prefer glass containers. Too many mice have chewed through paper/plastic.

[@davidedgerly]

Can you use a food dehydrator to dry your seeds?

[@GardenerScott]

You can, but you have to be careful to do it on the lowest setting. For most of us, air drying will work fine.

[@michelerichard5523]

Thank you for this video. I went on Amazon and there are so many different packages. Made out of Mylar, plastic, paper. Is one material better than the other? I am going to store them in mason jars with a oxygen sealer but do I store them in the fridge or freezer? I believe I heard a freezer makes them last longer. Thank you🌹

[@GardenerScott]

As long as they are completely dry it doesn't matter much what you use. The fridge or freezer may extend the life but most of us use the seeds before a need for long-term storage. As long as it is dry and cool, any designated spot you use for storage can work.

[@michaelmarchione3408]

Can I store my seeds in a small cooler and then set the cooler on a shelf on our back porch? The porch in enclosed but, not heated. I did have good luck in the crisper one year but, they take up too much room. So would the insulated cooler idea work? Thanks for the vid and take care, be safe.

[@GardenerScott]

It should be okay for seeds you plan to use within a year or two.

[@michaelmarchione3408]

@@GardenerScott Thanks for your time, much appreciated.

[@NoWonderDuh]

Hey bud, have you made a video or know where I can find a catch all info on flowering seeds such as how deep to plant them and time of year to start? Some examples I refer to are lavender, black eyed Susan's etc or just scour the internet lolz or is that book the catch all

[@GardenerScott]

I discuss some fall sowing of flower seeds in a recent video. I am planning to do another for spring sowing, but don't have a catch all video yet.

[@NoWonderDuh]

@@GardenerScott thank you for replying, 🙂 I look forward to more knowledge you share

[@kathynelson3840]

Can you use a dehydrator to dry seeds

[@GardenerScott]

You can on the lowest setting, but it isn't necessary for most areas.

[@mancavegamingandgardening9901]

2:11 That's a GREAT book! Its a secret tool that will help us later. I keep hearing rumors of seed shortages in 2021, not my garden! What else have you been doing to prepare for your 2021 garden? Looking forward to it as always

[@carladelagnomes]

I will be hitting Ray Browning's "Little Shop of Seeds" to get my supply for next year, now! That way I don't have to participate in the seed buying frenzy next spring. :D

[@mancavegamingandgardening9901]

@@carladelagnomes Ray's seed shop is a diamond in the rough!

[@simplifygardening]

Great tips on storing and drying seed Scott. Brilliant video. I don't know if you saw it but i sent you a message on Watsapp. Tony

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks, Tony!

[@vickonstark7365]

😁👍🏼

[@rebeccazody1278]

I have left over onion sets. Do I store them for next year or do I compost them? If I should store them, how do I do it? Thx

[@GardenerScott]

In a cool, dry, dark location some of them may survive until next year, but they may not grow well. I suggest saving a few as an experiment because either way they'll end up as compost.

[@rebeccazody1278]

@@GardenerScott thank you

[@audreysweeney5338]

Could I use aluminum foil?

[@davidgasparro2048]

Is it true if you dry out the seeds too much that you will damage them? I use desiccant beads in a jar with my Spaghetti Squash seeds and keep them separated in the jar using a material pouch to put the beads in. After 2 weeks I put the seeds only in a small mylar bag and store them in the basement that has a humidifier. Thanks for the videos, David

[@GardenerScott]

Seeds are alive and do need a small level of internal moisture, so it is possible to dry them too much. But desiccant beads shouldn't be a problem. I use packets in my jars.

[@davidgasparro2048]

@@GardenerScott Thanks for getting back to me. Its confusing to me that the info from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and the book Seed to Seed shows removing the Silica Gel and not to dry any seed longer than 7 days.

[@wandzettadarey9024]

I store my seeds in a glass container.

[@redvamp28]

Is it ok too leave them in their original package folded into a glass mason jar in a cool dry place?

[@GardenerScott]

Sure. That's a great option.

[@redvamp28]

@@GardenerScott Thanks but would that deprived them of oxygene if they are left a long time in the mason jars cause someone told me I should open the jar once in a wile what do you think?

[@GardenerScott]

You don't need to be worried about that much. To aid air flow I loosely screw on the lid and have never had any issues.

[@vijayshreejadhav8614]

CAN WE USE MYLAR BAGS FOR SEEDS

[@GardenerScott]

Sure, once the seeds are dry.

[@leonstanford6810]

How to store and save fynbos seeds?

[@GardenerScott]

I don't grow Fynbos. There are mixed recommendations about whether the seeds need fire or not to germinate. Check with a local nursery or botanic garden to see what they recommend.

[@afrique1967]

I have a perishable seed from a tropical vegetable plant called Telfairia Occidentalis. The plant fruits in the early fall in my zone and I’ve read the seeds are viable only for about a week once removed from the pod. Any advice on how to preserve it? I’ve been told to direct sow in the winter and cover with mulch to protect it but I am concerned that if it sits too long it’ll rot.

[@GardenerScott]

I haven't grown that but did a little research. I didn't see anything about seeds only lasting a week. Instead they can be dried and saved until the next season, but germination rates can be low.

[@afrique1967]

@@GardenerScott thanks for your prompt response! Could you send me a link for the information your referenced.

[@afrique1967]

@@GardenerScott because of the high water content of the seed would you recommend storage in fridge or freezer?

[@GardenerScott]

I store most of my seeds in a cool, dry, dark spot like a closet. If the seeds are completely dry either will work, but if there is any moisture left in the seed the freezer can cause damage. Here's some info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telfairia_occidentalis

[@afrique1967]

@@GardenerScott thanks!

[@squidy4082]

So after storing put them in the fridge and for how long ?

[@GardenerScott]

Store them until you use them to grow plants. Most seeds will store for years and still be good.

[@squidy4082]

@@GardenerScott do I keep them in the fridge for years to come or just a couple days to dry them out ?

[@mallorythurman4590]

What happens when the power goes out? What happens to the seeds?

[@GardenerScott]

The seeds will be fine. They don't need refrigeration, but it helps.

[@mrjasonjneal]

What is your Opinion of Agro Thrive? They keep putting ads on your videos.

[@GardenerScott]

I haven't used it so can't speak from experience. As fertilizers go it looks okay, but I still prefer to amend soil with organic matter to derive nutrients naturally.

[@heidiclark6612]

Hi Jason. I have been using Agrothrive for about 5 months now. Its really fantastic. I did a test using it to water the soil that I planted some seeds in. The container that had the Agrothrive germinated faster and grew stockier and faster. I also used it in my garden and the plants I applied it to produced more than they did before I started using it. I actually use a sprayer to apply the solution to the soil around my plants and then water it in. A little more work but its well worth it.

[@user-gd2jo5fc5p]

Glass jars with metal lids will survive rats, roaches, and ants and wevils.