{"id":4400,"date":"2021-01-31T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T10:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greensideup.ie\/?p=4400"},"modified":"2023-01-23T11:49:17","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T11:49:17","slug":"look-after-your-seeds-made-a-seed-tinbox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/look-after-your-seeds-made-a-seed-tinbox\/","title":{"rendered":"Look After Your Seeds – Make a Seed Tin\/Box"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever worried that the seeds you’ve sown haven’t germinated, that you must have been sold a dud packet? I remember thinking something similar years ago. It didn’t occur to me that I might be the one at fault, that I might not have kept my seeds in prime condition. As it transpired, there was no might<\/em> about it, I’d find seeds tucked away on shelves and in drawers, pockets and boxes and hadn’t realised that they were likely to last a lot longer if they were stored correctly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I wrote a post a while ago, answering the often asked question “how long will my seeds last?”<\/a>\u00a0One of the prime considerations for seed longevity is how they’re stored. Seeds are living organisms (albeit dormant ones) and as such need to be treated \u00a0well.<\/p>\n

Most seeds can remain viable for several years if kept in a cool, dry environment – the cooler the better. By keeping your seeds in an airtight tin or container in a cool, dry room (or even in the fridge) you\u2019ll increase their storage life.<\/p>\n

It’s never advised to store seeds in plastic bags which can attract moisture, instead keep them in the foil packets they arrive in. If they’re delivered from your seed supplier in small plastic bags as some of mine have been in the past, transfer them into brown paper envelopes as soon as they arrive before placing them in a container.<\/p>\n

Make a seed storage container<\/h2>\n

So why make a container and not just throw your seeds into a tin or plastic sandwich box in a muddled heap?<\/p>\n

Apart from the fact that specific seed packs are much easier to find if they’re ‘filed’ and you’re not having to rifle through the tin\u00a0every time\u00a0you want to sow something, filing them \u00a0between monthly divider cards will also help with your sowing plans.<\/p>\n

\"LookingHow to make your sowing life much easier:<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • All you need is a good, rectangular or square airtight tin (biscuit or chocolate tins are perfect) to store your seeds in and some cardboard cut to size with the twelve months of the year marked on them.<\/li>\n
  • Sort through your seed packets and take note of the recommended month of sowing. Bare in mind that sowing dates in Ireland can be a few weeks after the UK iwhere many guides arise from. If the packet suggests you can sow the seeds from March onwards, it’s usually worth waiting until the middle to end of March, weather<\/li>\n
  • depending, unless you grow your vegetables in a particularly sheltered and sunny garden.<\/li>\n
  • Pop your seed packets in between the dividers.<\/li>\n
  • Filing seeds like this comes into its own when you’re sowing\u00a0<\/strong>successionally<\/strong>. After you’ve sown a few rows, don’t put the packet back into the original month, place it into the next month as a reminder to sow a few weeks later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Always check the use by dates and use those seeds first. \u00a0If you find you have too many why not talk to vegetable growing friends and have a seed swap\u2026 you never know what you might end up with!<\/p>\n

    For more more information on seeds, their importance and how to store them, have a look at the video below.<\/p>\n