Maintaining saved seeds
Even without setting foot in the
garden, you can save money by taking
better care of those half full seed packets you bought in the
spring. Nearly all vegetable seeds will last at least two years,
and many are viable for much longer. The chart to the right shows
the
storage life of many types of vegetable seeds under optimal conditions.
The trick to giving your
seeds as much longevity as possible is to keep water, heat, and light
at bay.
An air-tight box with cardboard dividers will keep your seeds safe and
organized, especially if you throw in a few packets of desiccant to
soak up excess moisture. To maximize shelf life, store your box
in
the freezer, garage, basement, or in another cool, dark place.
Once you optimize your
seed storage
tactics, you might be able to save yet more money by buying the
larger, value packs of many seed varieties, counting on the seeds
lasting for two or three growing seasons.
Excerpted
from the Seed Saving chapter of Weekend
Homesteader: September.
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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.
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