Seed files

[TomatoDon]

For lack of a better title, I am curious how many of you catalog and organize your seeds. My collection is growing, and come in all kinds of packages. For now I just have them in the labeled packs kept either in a large ziplock bag or a clear plastic container. But I wanted to get an inventory and keep them organized better.

What are some of your ways of doing this? Or is there a good way? I really like to save any correspondence that comes with them, so I thought I might just organize them in business size envelopes, labeled with what they are, who sent, and when, including any I order from seed companies, and just keep the individual seed packs inside the envelopes. And, for example if a friend here sent three varieties in small packages I would put each variety in a separate envelope, again with all the info on the front. That way I could alphabetize by variety and still know who sent, and when. But I don't want to get too elaborate with this. Maybe the ziplock works just as well!

How do you rest of you do it?

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Don

[phreddy]

Hi Don,
In the last couple of years I have bought two 50 packet lots of seeds. Each came in different size pkts. Along with this I have bought odd pkts of seed so have 3 main sizes.
I take a corrugated cardboard box and make 'drawers' of each of the main sizes, put in supports a third of the way along and keep everything in a large plastic box.
It keeps my seed secure over winter whilst I am on holiday in the far east.

Phreddy

[TomatoDon]

Thanks for the ideas! I learned through friends here that have sent in the past and recently, that sometimes the seed packages can be very small. I'm afraid they will get lost if not put in something larger, like an envelope, and labeled. Plus, again, I want to have all the info (who sent, when, age of seed, etc) on the envelope, and then be able to alphabatize so I won't have to shuffle through dozens or different sized seed packs to find a certain variety. I'll have to check at the stores here in the US to see if they carry file boxes (like used for 3 X 5's) in the size of business envelopes.

I'm glad to know that others are filing theirs also. I'm sure we'll see quite a few ideas.

Thanks again!

Don

[feldon30]

I'm using little photo storage boxes from Garden Ridge. One for tomatoes and peppers. One for beans. One for everything else.

Eventually, I'll have to go to
Tomatoes - Red/Pink
Tomatoes - Other Colors

[OmahaJB]

This is something I need to get a handle on as well. I started trading for seeds two years ago. When I began trading the 2nd year (last fall), I became acutely aware of how much space my first year trades were taking up. All of the envelopes (business & bubble), took up more than 1 shelf in my kitchen cabinet. Orginally, I wanted to keep them so I knew who sent what & so I didn't lose addresses. Starting that 2nd year though, I knew I had to do something. I ended up using 4 regular sized envelopes and put the seed packets inside in alphabetical order. It's worked out ok, and has cut down on space taken by the envelopes.
The only thing I wish I had done is write the name on the packets of who sent what. Some I know off-hand but others I don't.

Now I have to work on the seeds I traded for last year and put those in order. As well as the seeds I traded for this year (only a couple of trades). The one thing I usually do is keep the seeds I purchased from seed companies in the original envelopes. I don't know why. Just a habit for some odd reason.

I definitely have to get my seeds packs in order soon.
I'm sure there's a better way of doing it, but that's what I've done so far. Now if I could just find a cool place to store them, without putting them in the fridge.

Jeff

[TomatoDon]

I am also keeping my commercial packs as they are. The problem, so many are different sizes, depending on where you buy.

After posting here earlier I found that the "store bought, or rack pack" size packs will fit in a busniess envelope. Also, the envelope will hold folded correspondence from friends who send seed. Now, I can label them by variety, the source (friend or commercial), the date received or purchased, and other particulars. I want to be able to flip through in alphabetical order the names of varieties, and that will be listed at the top. That way I can keep an inventory better and find what I want quicker, and no matter the size of the seed packet (including the little plastic ones that friends sometimes send), once in the business envelope the sizes are uniform and easy for sorting.

There may be a better way, but I'm starting to try this way and it seems to be working. Still, I want to hear more ways that others may be doing it.

And...is it really necessary to store seeds in the refrigerator?

Don

[OmahaJB]

It's not necessary to keep them in the fridge, but some folks do for longer-term storage. But you have to be careful with that so condensation doesn't get into the container holding the seeds. From what I've read some people put seeds in an airtight container, then when they take it out of the fridge they have to allow the container to warm up to room temp before opening, otherwise the inside will have condensation harming the seeds.

My problem is there is no cool spot in my apartment during summer. Not good for seeds...

Jeff

[TomatoDon]

Thanks for the info!

Don

[spyfferoni]

I used to keep my seeds in Manilla envelopes inside of a bag, but my seeds were lost that way, (I thought they had been thrown out, but recently found them under my boys bunkbeds). Now I have an expandable file/folder that has pockets or sections. I know Trudy keeps hers in a binder in the pockets made for card collectors, but that would require swapping out all of the larger packets for smaller ziplock baggies or coin envelopes. I live in a dry area, so I just keep my seeds in a cabinet in my bedroom. We usually use the a/c in the summer when it gets really hot, so I don't worry about putting my seeds in the refrigerator. My Mom saves the tins from Christmas cookies and such, and keeps her seeds in those.

Good luck!!! Whatever you do just don't leave your seeds out where little children can "help" put them away. I was so sure mine ended up in the trash! It felt like a miracle when I found my seeds after several months, when we took down the bunkbeds to move them to another room.

Tyffanie

[feldon30]

I used to use cookie tins, but love my stackable photo boxes.

[TomatoDon]

Baseball card binder pages! Great idea! I'll see if I have those big ones for the Bowman cards. They might be big enough to hold the store bought packs. How neat. Keep your seeds in a baseball card album!

Now you see why I asked? <s>

Don

[PaulF]

I went to the local, nationwide discount retailer and purchased for $4 several Hot Wheels storage cases. They are clear plastic with a carrying handle like a briefcase. They have 50 compartments, twenty-five per side. The compartments are 1 1/2" x 3". The lids snap shut and stay shut so nothing gets spilled.

I then went to the Pharmacy department and traded a sack of tomatoes for a sack of prescription pill containers. They will sell them for a few pennies each also. The prescription containers will hold several hundred seeds. I used to use 35mm film container, but since going digital I don't have a good supply of those containers, but they fit in the compartments also. I labeled the containers with the seed information and then put the seeds in the cases with the like varieties all in one case. The reds and pinks have a case or two and the other colors are in their own case or on one side, etc.

As for records, I keep an alphabetical list on my computer with a hard copy back-up. I keep my seeds in alphabetical order inside the plastic cases. Since I only have a couple hundred seeds varieties, it is easy to keep track of so far.

[janezee]

Since I just spent a week putting all my seeds in letter envelopes and filing them, much like the OP did, I thought I'd bump this thread for those folks who are racking up the seed packets at this time of the year. I use 3 plastic shoe boxes with lids: one for tomatoes and peas, one for vegetables, including beans, and one for flowers and herbs. I'm using a green fluorescent sticker on the envelope that designates growing for season 2012. I have hot pink for next year, and orange for the next. If I decide that a variety is a definite 'no' for this year, it gets a paper clip on the top. That way, they all get to stay together until planting time, when they get pulled to a plastic accordion file set up by planting time. After planting, they go back to the main box.
I also set up a spreadsheet of all my seeds, and their pertinent information, and another for marking off things as I decide to plant, when things are planted, and then when they come up.
Any one have a phone app that I can put this directly into, in the garden, so no paper is involved? and I could take pictures, too?

[Alpinejs]

I posted this elsewhere, but will paste it over to this thread because I am totally happy
with this system as it stores easily. seeds can be located rapidly and easily accessible.
I doubt I will make any changes to this aspect of my tomato hobby.

Don't want to brag or anything, but I think I have found a GREAT way to
save collected seeds. I read a post (somewhere) last night where a gal had
found a clear plastic compartmented tray at Harbor Freight, so I went there
and they have two sizes. The small has probably20 compartments and the
large had probably 40. She did not explain how she stored her seeds within
each of those compartments.

Now, here is the kicker. If you know anyone that is a testing diabetic, they
get those little testing strips in little plastic snap shut tight cannisters about
the size of the old kodak film. Those little cannisters fit almost exactly into
each compartment. I would estimate that the cannisters can hold 800 seeds.
So, now the seeds are secure, can be seen without opening the case and
the cases are stackable for those of you that have hundreds of varieties
saved. I already had been using the cannisters, but just had them sitting in
old ice-cube trays which the cat dumped out once already. I can't believe how
great this worked out and I can't find the thread so I can thank the poster.

[Alpinejs]

An after thought about my post above. I would suspect that the labs in hospitals also
use a quantity of those testing strips so maybe a contact with them might induce them to
save them for you. Seedlings as a gift??? That inducement surely worked for 1 gal. pails
at the Japanese restaurants.

I encourage anyone to try this system. I put glue on labels on the cannister, mark the variety, source and date
with a black felt tip marker and I am set to go.