I believe it should be made or born date not packaged date. What if I have 20year old seeds but I put them in a package that says; packaged on April 20 2018. not much help.
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Dating will probably come to the market sooner or later. But dating isnāt really the problem, and adding dates will initially confuse customers more than help them.
Is a one-year old seed more viable than a 5-year old seed? Maybe, but not if is has been left in an unsealed environment where temperatures regularly exceeded 80F/25C. Five-year old seed kept in sealed packaging at stable temps below 40F/5C can typically be expected to be 95-98% viable. Two-year old seed kept on a shelf in a warm room can easily drop below 50% viability. Which makes the odds of someone getting 0/10 germination pretty high.
The conditions under which the seed is stored before being sold to the customer is a far more critical factor in maintaining viability. And truth be told, most āseedbanksā (a very misleading descriptor for seed retailers which implies some technical expertise and practices in seed preservation) donāt give a hoot about seed storage.
I see it all the time at dispensaries and canna conferences, seed inventory stored like so much birdseed. Itās not their brand after all, itās just inventory to be moved. The breeder suffers the consequences of the seed mongerās indifference.
If you want fresh produce, buy it from the farmerā¦ 
-b420
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Like i do from you my dear brother Mr. B. That is exactly what i do, and intent to keep on doing.
Seed banks sell good seeds, yes; but sometimes it feels like youāre taking a chanceā¦
HppHrvst
itās so true, Heavenās Stairway used to have little grains of rice in their seedpacks but most breeders package the seeds in sealed containers with no dessicant. It doesnāt seem like any attempt is being made to prolong the lifetime of the seeds.
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Every full retail pack of FDM seeds now includes a single pearl of ferrous oxide dessicant/antioxidant. Not the matchbox-style packs, yet, but weāre working on it. All of our seeds are cold-stored in airtight plastic containers with dessicant packs. Seeds that are expected to be used within one year are stored refrigerated at 38F. The rest are kept frozen. I consistently germinate seed lots that are 25 years old at 90% or higher rates. Itās not hard at all, it just takes some care. -b420
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Master Baudelaire, always selflessly giving advice bro. Thanks.
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I keep seeds in my refrigerator with a few rice kernels. I sprout multiple year old seeds regularly with no problem. I have found seeds to be very durable from my experiences. If a seed doesnāt sprout i assume it was sterile from the beginning (happens) or it cracked and dried out from accidental rough handling. I donāt think twice about using five to ten year old seed. Am i delusional?
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hell no, Iāve got seeds from 15+ years ago that germinate 90-100%. For the first 5-10 years they were in the fridge with rice, then I switched to silicon dessicant at some point.
Since I often buy & hold breeder packs for years Iāve taken to removing the seeds and storing them in my envelope/jar/dessicant. Glad to hear FDM is incorporating dessicant. I think the main break-in-the-chain is when seed retailers get the breeder packs and hold them for years in inventory. With no dessicant in the packs thatās when things could go downhill.
I wonder what the record is for the oldest germinated cannabis seed? I know when Ethan Russo & co. found the 3,700-year-old shamansā grave they tried to germinate his seed and failed 
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Is there dating on the cannaverify system. Itās a little holographic tag that you scan when you buy seeds for authentification.
Ocean Grown seeds from Vader have a serial code to verify autheticity and date of the seeds harvested.
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Yeah so this would solve that problem and others.
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itās really not age thatās the issue, itās improper storage and handling. never heard of this cannverify though, do breeders need to pay for their service i guess?
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Exactly, I guess if they donāt store them properly and people have too many misfires the word gets around and reputations go down anyway to me it seems pretty self regulated as it is.
Seed sellers could always put dates on packages as they are being sent out anyway if they are that type of company/person. That is the same thing, word gets around about poor germination rates pretty fast.
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Is there special storage techniques for refrigerating seeds. Is freezing seeds an option for long term storage?
I have always stored mine in the room that has my Clone box and Veg chamber and Mine have only lasted 3-4 years, sometimes not that long. I have a small refrigerator that I keep my nutes (and snacks 
) in. Itād probably be an ideal place to store seeds. Iāve just always worried about getting condensation in a refrigerated jar.
Iād really love my seeds to last longer. What is your technique? 
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What happens when seeds get seized? How do you know they have gotten seized? Do they come looking for the addressee? Did you get into any kind of trouble?
Iāve had best luck with the ones Iāve stored in a tupperware with desiccate, in the fridge. Some people prefer the freezer for long term storage, but Iāve never tried it.
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Thanks for the tip. I save the little desiccant devices from all the meds I get. I already put them in the jars of seeds I keep in the room. Iāll start saving most of my seeds in the frig and experiment with the freezer as well. Iāt would be great to not lose any strains. I had some really good ones in the early '00s, but lost them all. Iād like to avoid that heartbreak form now on.
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I want that! Thanks very much for the storage lesson! who knows, I might even still be above ground in 25 years to see how it worked out.
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iāve heard to use rice as a dessicant: dry in oven on low/150 for an hour, isolate with parchment paper. anyone?
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