Seed Bank Seed Storage and Seed Saving

Just curious how those of you that run Seed Banks store your seeds. I figure you guys have the best practices. Love to see some pics if possible. What’s the absolute best practices? Also how are people backing up their genetics? Everyones always taking about pulling seeds in and out of the freezer, but I’m sure a few times isn’t horrible, but in and out all the time would be an issue.

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One recommendation I read online is a mini fridge that you don’t open. The steady temperature helps for long term storage

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This is the exact reason I stopped dealing with the local guys, they kept their beans in a drawer… :no_mouth:

Cheers
G

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Just a heads-up, you may want to move this. This is for Seedsman’s sponsored content.

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@Beep This is a great and very important topic to cover! We get this right and the preservation of this sacred herb can be secured for generations to come! :fire::fire::fire:

I’ve got a large freezer I’ve been using. I started with an ammo can filled with seed and vacuum sealed them. With the rate I’m buying seeds I needed a better idea. I bought small vials and labeled all of them, but don’t want to take them out of the freezer to switch them over. I’m thinking about waiting till I have access to a walk in freezer to do the switch. I get access to them a few times a year because of my job. I’m really just trying to save these puppies for the long haul. Need something to do in retirement when the kids are gone, lol.

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For small amounts of seeds, I keep them in a cigar box on a shelf.

For large amounts, like if I make my own seeds and have 100s of them, I store them in a pill bottle and I add a bunch of water beads to act as desiccant.

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Preferably in the fridge right next to the :mushroom: psilocybin spores.

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Not even kidding, I don’t even wanna know :man_shrugging::joy:

And to be frank, I don’t think anything beyond room temp storage is needed for anything beyond “ancient” or “rare” genetics. If you’re buying ABC Kush, it coulda been stored on dude’s porch & it’ll probably still pop :man_shrugging:

There’s a post somewhere here I believe, someone popped 50+ yrs old seeds from the VIETNAM FREAKING WAR, do you think those were refrigerated? --and they still popped

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@McDoubles but could that be a problem if you, say, mail “refrigerated” beans to someone? :man_shrugging: Why not just store room temp and save the shock?

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@RookieBuds
Honestly I could see that being an issue however I just store them until they’re ready to use. I also have an old fishing gear box which I use for the seeds I will be using sooner. And if I send some it’ll be from that box, the refrigerated is more for seeds I have no plans on using for years or that I know I won’t get to anytime soon. To be fair climate here is on average 95-105 with extremes of 115 in peak summer and lowest it gets is mid 50s for a few days out of the year.
I also have no other use for such a small refrigerator so why not.

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That’s a great point. I’m sure Seed Banks refrigerate/freeze before they send them though correct?

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Yeah but that’s my point

If a seed bank sends refrigerate-stored genetics thru standard room-temp mail, which could then sit in your hot mailbox depending on the time of year? :man_shrugging:

#1 if you live where it’s hot, wait til it’s cool to buy “perishable” items via mail. #2 not even shitting, in some/most cases the high temps shouldn’t matter as long as the original method of storage wasn’t “extreme”

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So I’m back to

I DON’T EVEN WANA KNOW :man_shrugging::joy::joy::joy::heart:

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Keep them dry, dark, and coolish and they will last decades. You really don’t want these things going in and out of a refrigerator or freezer.

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Im so confused, why would they still be cold by the time they get to the post office?

It takes like 10 minutes to get stuff to room temp…how is that any different from them sitting in a cool place?

I would think humidity is the biggest issue with fridge, but isnt that what a mason jar is for?

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Temp shock, regardless of timeframe

Going from 30° to 80°? :man_shrugging:. Big whoop if the seeds are free, but if you’re paying?

I dunno man, I just frown upon refrigerating seeds “recreationally” is all

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That would mean that all the long-term storage options that they use is worthless if that logic was true?

Many types of plants need “cold-stratification.” Cannabis seeds can benefit from this, as far as i know

Fluctuations constantly in temp, and humidity are much more relevant in this debate to me, but to each their own

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LONG TERM, yes. And on some rare worthy genetics, yes.

But sending you some Cookies-cross you bought thru the mail from ABC seedbank? :man_shrugging: (No offense to your genetics choice or bank choice, I just mean that generically)

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Same. A couple cigar boxes that live in my grow room in the basement. I think the cigar boxes help stabilize the internal humidity (I don’t open them often, and if I do when it’s humid I toss in some silica dessicant packets)
My seeds stay variable for 5+ years so far.

But I have been thinking about a small mini fridge lately. It certainly can’t hurt (I just hate adding to my electric bill)

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