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South Hero, VT

Do you use envelopes, folders in a file cabinet, trays, boxes or something else? And where do you get the trays or whatever you use?

Thanks.

2/19/2012 1:06:42 PM

Hinckley MN

Having 4 kids that like peanut butter, I have found that the empty jars are easy to lable and hold lots of bulk seed.

2/19/2012 1:32:17 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Hey Steve, I use mason jars, sealed and in the fridge. I keep a separate spreadsheet with details on the contents of the mason jars.

Over the past year, I culled the herd and gave away alot of seeds that I will never have time to grow in my lifetime...leaving only a couple of mason jars with envelopes of seeds in them.

I get almost 100 percent germination from my seeds...even 10 year old seeds.

2/19/2012 1:32:43 PM

Muddy Waters

I use prescription bottles.I get them my uncle & mother also my family doctor. I place seed in mini zip locs.then in prescription bottles & write in black sharpie the seed weight & name if needed on bottle.I have a freezer in basement strictly for seeds.I use big vitamin bottles for freezing bulk seeds.they will hold 300 melon seeds per bottle.I place a ziploc in bottle, then fill with seeds then seal bag & fold plastic into bottle,this way there all double sealed with a vapor barrier.

2/19/2012 1:41:52 PM

South Hero, VT

I should have said individual seeds in seed envelopes.

I need to organize them by grower, year, weight.

2/19/2012 2:04:56 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Steve, if you need to do that, you have WAY too many seeds.

2/19/2012 2:18:38 PM

Johnston, R.I.

I use gal jars by year...

2/19/2012 2:19:22 PM

[email protected]

I use plastic baggies to hold each growers seeds. If there are "HOT" seeds I use a binder and baseball sleeves. I keep the top 100-150 seeds this way.
They are alphabetical in the binder, Easy to find any seed in a hurry.

2/19/2012 2:22:23 PM

Muddy Waters

I put the envelope in prescription bottle you can put 3-4 seeds in a bottle.

2/19/2012 2:29:25 PM

Ontario

I have a home vacuum packer,so I make up small envelopes,place the original inside ,and pull a vacuum,and seal it.Then I place these in zip locbags with 100 lb. increments marked on them 900,1000,1100 ect.,and store them in the refrigerater.Works for me. Terry

2/19/2012 3:11:01 PM

Littleton, Colo

Iceman haz a binder and pages juzt full of B'z..... right ?

2/19/2012 3:55:13 PM

Minnesota

I use Mason, Kerr or Ball jars, in each jar is a note with the cross.

2/19/2012 4:33:25 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

I use plastic bags and banker's boxes with an Excel spreadsheet to match

2/19/2012 4:36:30 PM

Mass

read my mind! picked up some small parts stack on bin organizers yesterday at home depot in the powertool section. wall mount 12bins ,got two, that will be close enough for a-z, 2per bin or however. They also have some portable ones, I guess it depends on how many seeds you have as to how big you need. I have all the seeds on an excell spreadsheet, with year, crosses, notes, etc. and just delete the ones I use or pass on.

2/19/2012 4:59:09 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

For some storage, velveeta cheese boxes, the big loaf. They are perfect width to hold the standard size coin bags and ziplocks. They will also sit nicely in a soda/beer flat.

For freezer storage, I use quart widemouth canning jars; and put a number on the lid. Then use computer spreadsheet to keep track of what's in that particular one.

2/20/2012 1:08:59 AM

Maine

I use a 3 ring binder with baseball card sheets. The pockets are the perfect size for the seed packets. You are able to arrange them by size or grower very easily.

2/20/2012 8:36:52 AM

Johnston, Iowa

I have a locking file folder for my 'giant' seeds packets, and then an old fishing tackle box to keep all other seed packets organized.

2/20/2012 9:17:49 AM

Jericho Vermont

Steve,
As you know and have seen, I can be a bit on the extreme side. I use an old library card catalogue that we found for free and it seems to work real well along with an excel file.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=100809

John

2/20/2012 9:27:10 AM

Connecticut

I don't intend to have enough seeds to worry about it. That way the seeds will get planted by others.

2 years of seeds and backups.
3 spots, that is 12 sets of seeds = shoe box.
3 number 1 + 1 backup = 6 each year. I will give away the backups if the number 1's look good at the first true leaf.

2/20/2012 3:12:03 PM

South Hero, VT

Yes, I do have too many seeds. Yes, I do donate proven seeds to the Vermont Growers for their auction and seed sales. Yes, I do give seeds away to prospective growers and to growers looking for a certain seed. Yes, I do grow some of those seeds myself, mainly for orange color, size next(although that is going to change in the future). Yes, I do trade seeds to strengthen certain genetic characteristics.

And finally: yes, I am getting better organized,and even though I can't grow all of the seeds I have before I die, other growers, new and experienced, can benefit from my collection in the future.

My thanks to all who submitted suggestions.

2/20/2012 7:18:24 PM

Connecticut

I have to confess. One of the major reasons also I do not and will not have more seeds is I am cheep and I only have one shoe box.
Steve you will do more for pumpkin growing than I ever will.
If someone where to say... I have have a 935Lloyd wanna see it ?
I would say Holy Cr#p you bet.
There should be a seed museum : )

2/20/2012 7:30:37 PM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

I use small clear tackel boxes, I get from bass pro. I have 14 of them, each divided alphabeticly. each tray is subdivded into smaller compartments.

I keep a master Excel spread sheet.

And yes....I have too many seeds!

2/20/2012 7:58:28 PM

Rhode Island

Vt. John
Nice setup there,,, I got to look around ,, see if I can find one.

2/20/2012 7:59:20 PM

Muddy Waters

I have the 875 mother of the 935 Lyodd its ready for the museum.

2/20/2012 8:05:05 PM

Connecticut

Handy that's cool.

2/20/2012 8:18:26 PM

South Hero, VT

Dang, John Vincent--which tackle box are you talking about? Bass Pro has a couple of hundred different choices.

2/20/2012 8:54:33 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Steve, probably something like the Flambeau's clear box with multiple square compartments all the same size. Bass Pro also has their own version of them at a cheeper price if talkin the solid, flat and clear cases.

2/20/2012 9:18:03 PM

Colorado

workforce zag organizer-home depot sells them-can make up to 26 sections.They have enough depth you can put seed envelopes in the longway

2/21/2012 2:10:57 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

i used to use the plano tackle boxes but now have just too many seeds to keep buying tackle boxes

2/21/2012 8:53:55 AM

Southeast

Labeled in Zip Locks by year and put in the freezer. Find the yr and then find the seed. Little extra time to find but easy to store.

2/22/2012 6:36:37 PM

Ohio

I use 100 gallon plastic drums that are stored in a walk in freezer to hold all my seeds.

I just spray paint on the side of the drums what seeds are in them.

Only tough part about storing seeds this way is that its tough getting the seeds back out of that 3 inch round hole thats at the top of the drums.

2/23/2012 8:22:18 AM

Canada

Mine are in packets they arrived in, placed in a shoe box kept in cold room in basement :-) Ive got seeds from 2003 sitting in there :-)

5/2/2012 1:19:30 AM