Last year I came upon the ideal solution for saving all my various seeds
(I collect just about everything).
The Dollar ($1.00) store sells packets of 100 2x2 inch and 2x3 inch little
plastic bags (miniature Zip Lock type) which I have found are great for
saving and mailing seeds all over the place. They are $1.00 a package and
as long as the seeds are really dry when you put them in the packets, they
keep really well.
The 2x2 holds more seeds than you could ever use in 4 or 5 years.
Good luck
Helen

--

x

Good tip, but one caveat: Make sure all seeds are completely dry, and I mean
completely. If not, any tiny amount of moisture in a sealed plastic bag can
cause them to develop fungus and the seed will no longer be viable. I also use
small plastic bags, but I leave the bags open and standing on end. I only seal
them for sending them to people and by then the seeds are dry.


On 24 Aug 2003 23:03:38 GMT, (Helen J. Foss) opined:

Last year I came upon the ideal solution for saving all my various seeds
(I collect just about everything).
The Dollar ($1.00) store sells packets of 100 2x2 inch and 2x3 inch little
plastic bags (miniature Zip Lock type) which I have found are great for
saving and mailing seeds all over the place. They are $1.00 a package and
as long as the seeds are really dry when you put them in the packets, they
keep really well.
The 2x2 holds more seeds than you could ever use in 4 or 5 years.
Good luck
Helen

"animaux" wrote in message
...
Good tip, but one caveat: Make sure all seeds are completely dry, and I
mean
completely. If not, any tiny amount of moisture in a sealed plastic bag
can
cause them to develop fungus and the seed will no longer be viable. I
also use
small plastic bags, but I leave the bags open and standing on end. I only
seal
them for sending them to people and by then the seeds are dry.

Excellent advice! I tried storing seeds in sealed bags and found viability
was greatly reduced. After that initial experience I now keep seeds in an
open, cool place and share them via mail in sealed plastic bags but make
sure they're in paper containers when I share them with friends who do not
plan to sow them immediately.

John

On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 23:59:03 -0500, "B & J" opined:

Excellent advice! I tried storing seeds in sealed bags and found viability
was greatly reduced. After that initial experience I now keep seeds in an
open, cool place and share them via mail in sealed plastic bags but make
sure they're in paper containers when I share them with friends who do not
plan to sow them immediately.

John


I'm thinking of making some of my own small seed packets. They are easy to
make. When I first made one I used a commercial seed packet and unraveled it to
make a pattern, then I folded and used glue stick glue. The cheap copier paper
is good for this.

V

put in a dessicant, maybe rice? Ingrid



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Actually, I use diatomaceous earth, which is the desiccant most used. Rice is
another good one.

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 12:58:12 GMT, opined:

put in a dessicant, maybe rice? Ingrid



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

In article ,
Helen J. Foss wrote:
Last year I came upon the ideal solution for saving all my various seeds
(I collect just about everything).
The Dollar ($1.00) store sells packets of 100 2x2 inch and 2x3 inch little
plastic bags (miniature Zip Lock type) which I have found are great for
saving and mailing seeds all over the place. They are $1.00 a package and
as long as the seeds are really dry when you put them in the packets, they
keep really well.
The 2x2 holds more seeds than you could ever use in 4 or 5 years.
Good luck
Helen


I have had more luck with paper coin envelopes, which allow
seeds to stay dry. For an example of what they look like
(not a suggestion to buy from this store -- I have never
ordered from there) see:

store.yahoo.com/actionenvelopes/specialty-envelopes-coin-envelopes.html

or, in tiny terms

http://tinyurl.com/l4a0


billo

Depending upon how large of a container you need, I use plastic film
containers.

Helen J. Foss wrote:

Last year I came upon the ideal solution for saving all my various seeds
(I collect just about everything).
The Dollar ($1.00) store sells packets of 100 2x2 inch and 2x3 inch little
plastic bags (miniature Zip Lock type) which I have found are great for
saving and mailing seeds all over the place. They are $1.00 a package and
as long as the seeds are really dry when you put them in the packets, they
keep really well.
The 2x2 holds more seeds than you could ever use in 4 or 5 years.
Good luck
Helen

--

x

Hi,

I make my own envelopes. I use old seeds' catalogues with nice flowers' p=
ictures. I
also use the old calendar with pictures on them. This way I can different=
iate my
seeds from the bought one.

Fran=E7oise.

I'm thinking of making some of my own small seed packets. They are eas=
y to
make. When I first made one I used a commercial seed packet and unrave=
led it to
make a pattern, then I folded and used glue stick glue. The cheap copi=
er paper
is good for this.

V

you just gave me an idea that stems from my making my own envelopes for the
cards I buy and save until the "perfect" time. I use my old calendars for
making precise envelopes for the cards ( I never buy envelopes with the
cards which drives the places crazy unless they are familiar with me by now)
and I use self sticking stamps and self sticking blank lables in colors for
the address lables. Neat idea, Francoise about the
envelopes..............hafta try that myself. Thanks!! madgardener always
liking another neat idea.
"Françoise" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I make my own envelopes. I use old seeds' catalogues with nice flowers'
pictures. I
also use the old calendar with pictures on them. This way I can
differentiate my
seeds from the bought one.

Françoise.

I'm thinking of making some of my own small seed packets. They are easy
to
make. When I first made one I used a commercial seed packet and unraveled
it to
make a pattern, then I folded and used glue stick glue. The cheap copier
paper
is good for this.

V

you just gave me an idea that stems from my making my own envelopes for the
cards I buy and save until the "perfect" time. I use my old calendars for
making precise envelopes for the cards ( I never buy envelopes with the
cards which drives the places crazy unless they are familiar with me by now)
and I use self sticking stamps and self sticking blank lables in colors for
the address lables. Neat idea, Francoise about the
envelopes..............hafta try that myself. Thanks!! madgardener always
liking another neat idea.
"Françoise" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I make my own envelopes. I use old seeds' catalogues with nice flowers'
pictures. I
also use the old calendar with pictures on them. This way I can
differentiate my
seeds from the bought one.

Françoise.

I'm thinking of making some of my own small seed packets. They are easy
to
make. When I first made one I used a commercial seed packet and unraveled
it to
make a pattern, then I folded and used glue stick glue. The cheap copier
paper
is good for this.

V

I had an infestation of beetles or weevils that had burrowed into my
Black Valentine bean seeds. These little critters chewed through
plastic bags and infested other bean seeds but they couldn't chew
through paper envelopes. I now trade beans in paper envelopes or
store them in glass jars.

Reclosable plastic bags are great for everything else. If only there
was a easy way to label everything...

"Pen" wrote in message
om...
I had an infestation of beetles or weevils that had burrowed into my
Black Valentine bean seeds. These little critters chewed through
plastic bags and infested other bean seeds but they couldn't chew
through paper envelopes. I now trade beans in paper envelopes or
store them in glass jars.

Reclosable plastic bags are great for everything else. If only there
was a easy way to label everything...

Get a fine point permanent Sharpie marker. They're cheap and last a long
time. They work on plastic bags, paper, and plastic and aluminum blind
stakes. The writing is not permanent where it receives a lot of sun, but
it's easy to solve that problem with pot plants. Shove the marked stake into
the soil along the edge of the pot so that just the tip of the stake is
visible.

I learned that trick because our neighbor's dog had the bad habit of pulling
out the stakes from my started potted shrub cuttings. She couldn't get the
stakes out without getting a mouth full of dirt, and as a bonus the writing
didn't fade. BTW, I also do this along the edges of my raised vegetable
beds when I have several varieties of the same vegetable and need a way to
identify where I planted each.

John

John