If they have been kept in a freezer or refrigerator for a long period of time I would think it would be best to keep them that way. I’m no expert but I would think that if they were frozen for a long period that it would be bad for them to go from frozen to room temps and vise versa you should keep them as they have been kept .
At this point if it has been out of the fridge for a while then I don’t know… Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in. I just keep mine at room temp but I don’t have a large collection and do not intend on keeping them for years as they will be popped within 2 years I am not worried about long term storage myself… I think the main issue is whether they were frozen or just refrigerated. If just refrigerated I would say just put them back in the fridge and keep them there. I think if they are frozen then thawed and then frozen and then thawed it would be problematic for sure…
50 deg F is too warm. In studies done, at 50-60 deg F, 50% of seeds will typically go off in 2 years, and upward of 100% will go off in 4 years. Humidity is also a bigger factor the warmer the seeds are kept. The colder they are, the less impact that humidity has. Standard US freezers are 0F, which is a good temp to keep them at. A no-defrost deep freezer is best, but I have kept them in frost-free freezers as well with good results.
My advice, take photos of them all and get them frozen. Sort out catalog details later. Time is critical. You do not know how long they have been around, and the longer they stay this warm the more that will go off. And as I do here, when it is below freezing outside, you can take them outside on a porch and paw through them. Freezing and defrosting is not that big an issue either. Mine have been frozen and thawed many times over. Most are still viable. The amount of TIME that they are warm seems to be the biggest factor in seed death, and humidity will accelerate that if kept above freezing. For that reason I do not recommend a refrigerator. If you have to, use sealed jars in a refer and rice or dry bags to keep them DRY.
I have seeds that are viable after 40+ years now. I have moved up and down the west coast of the US and taken my seeds with me from freezer to freezer, thawing for days or ever weeks between. While it seems intuitive that they remain at some stable temp (many people claim that is better), that does not seem to be a big factor in long term storage of Cannabis seeds. If you look at Siberia or the US Midwest where weed grows wild, they get freezing nights and warm days in the fall and spring in many cycles, and long term sub freezing temps in the winter with periodic thawing. Cannabis seeds are well adapted to surviving in that environment. While I do not recommend moving them around in temp, I recommend keeping them DRY in all cases and also freezing them ASAP. IMO refer temps above 40F are too warm for long term storage, but that is way better than 50F in a likely variable temp and humidity location such as in a back room of a house, a garage, or whatever.
There you go Mia, an answer from an expert in seed storage!
I’ve had great results in the refrigerator with 90%+ germination rates after 15 years.
@BigSur your advice probably extends the life of my little collection they are in the dry and fridge … but I add rice and I put into the freezer.
I have had this argument for years now. MANY books and mags, well, actually just about ALL magazines and books say not to freeze Cannabis seeds. They site no research though. Over on the 420 forum many people have absolutely blasted me for freezing them. But… if you look at the scientific research, mainly done in Japan, Cannabis seeds can be frozen for long term, and even possibly indefinitely. I get 60-100% germination from my seeds here, after being frozen anywhere from a year to 40 years now. I started freezing seeds in 1977, after the book, Marijuana Potency by Starks came out. Recommended reading, $5.50 used on Amazon. Or free by online download. My copy is falling apart after 40 years. I guess I better get another one? Or I should freeze the first copy?
I whole heartedly agree with you @BigSur.
I have never done it, but check out these guys… I go along with freezing seeds to keep them viable.
… Makes one Wonder… What kind of ancient gems are lurking in the permafrost that we could bring back to life!
Absolutely. But this is mostly food, flowers, trees and such. But there’s gotta be some weed seeds in there, i mean… Right!
You are right. We should add topic about seed storage into FAQ. Thanks for noticing…
Considering that Cannabis is found around the Himalayan mountains, and many think that it where it originates, one would think think that there are ancient seeds frozen up there someplace. Like that guy they found in the Alps, Otzi? An ancient grower that left their family with a stash of seeds, 10,000 year ago maybe?
That would be a prehistoric weed that will grow like Jack’s maybe! LOL
Mine go straight into a mini fridge reserved for my seed stock only.
A few mm under the surface of the pro mix hp
Who has somehting like this, specially for the weed?
