As a gardener and lover of all things gardening, not only do I put endless hours of manual labor, sweat, tears and love into my herbs, flowers and vegetables, but I also have invested hard-earned money.
Imagine ALL the seeds you have!
500 lavender? 100 beefsteak tomato? 500 Holy Basil?
No matter how many you have, if you don't store them properly, they will do you no good in the future.
Take the Svalbard Global Seed Vault that just reached over one-million seeds in its vault back in February of 2018. Located on a Norwegian island (remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago) just south of the North Pole, the seed vault has only been open for 11 years... can you believe that!
The website states:
Way up north, in the permafrost, 1300 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle, is the world's largest secure seed storage, opened by the Norwegian Government in February 2008. From all across the globe, crates of seeds are sent here for safe and secure long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults
I've taken a HUGE interest in this seed collection and vault that holds all these seeds.
The website further states:
The seeds sent to Svalbard are packed in boxes each containing a maximum of 400 seed types. The boxes are sealed by the gene bank sending the seed. The boxes hold up to 400 seed samples each. Each seed sample consists of about 500 seeds and is contained in a sealed aluminium bag.
The full capacity of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is 4.5 million different seed types, and it can therefore house duplicates of all the unique seed types found today in the many gene banks around the world, as well as new seed types that will be gathered in the future
Now that's a lotta seeds.... 4.5 million!
So how does the MOST famous seed vault store their seeds for longevity?
According to the Crop Trust website FAQ page:
The seeds are stored at minus 18°Celsius (minus 0.4°Fahrenheit). The seeds are sealed in specially-designed four-ply foil packages that are placed in sealed boxes and stored on shelves inside the vault. The low temperature and moisture level ensures low metabolic activity, keeping the seeds viable for decades, centuries, or in some cases thousands of years. The permafrost ensures the continued viability of the seeds if the electricity supply should fail
I had purchased these frozen seed capsules of wild lettuce in 2017, and have kept them in the freezer simply because the company I purchased them from had it as recommended on the packaging.
The little capsules that the seeds are stored in are pretty unique and I have tried to find out more about them. Wouldn't it be a cool thought to be able to store our seeds in this manner?
I have always kept my seeds in the original packaging from when I purchased them or in plastic baggies/containers from the seeds I have harvested. At one time I had considered storing them in my deep freeze because I had heard that was the best way; but I nixed the idea when I realized just how many seeds I had accumulated over the past few years; and how much room it would take up in the deep freezer. But now, I am reconsidering their storage location.
Keep in mind, my love and passion for gardening is not a short-lived hobby; I have plans to continue growing my varieties of plants, flowers and herbs for use and consumption, so making sure I am properly storing my seeds (future) is key for possible survival one day. Not to say an economic collapse will happen, natural disaster, worldwide pandemic, etc... not a person can never be too sure in this day and age about what will happen and what our future holds.
I've always been a pragmatic person, preparing for the unknowns and ready to take life to the next level; and I believe making sure the longevity of my seeds could play an important role in my life.
So how do you store your seeds?
More facts about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault
High Mowing Seeds website chart of seeds' lifespan
