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Post by oxbowfarm on Sept 2, 2012 21:12:49 GMT -5
Mike, before you buy the cvault check out the Sanctus Mundo airtight containers. They look like basically an identical product but are a bit cheaper for the same sizes.
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Post by circumspice on Nov 21, 2012 1:42:45 GMT -5
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Post by bunkie on Nov 21, 2012 10:51:12 GMT -5
Mike, before you buy the cvault check out the Sanctus Mundo airtight containers. They look like basically an identical product but are a bit cheaper for the same sizes. that's what i was going to suggest oxbow! i have purchased a few of these for food containers and they are wonderful! they don't have that side dip thingy the cvault has, and they are cheaper...never thought of using them for seed! lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/food-storage-airtight-containers-c-66_71.html |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Nov 21, 2012 11:43:00 GMT -5
I'd like to store my seeds in ammo boxes. I'm currently storing most things in glass jars because they are impervious to insects and mice, but they are susceptible to clumsiness and earthquake. I still haven't developed a winnowing technique that allows me to separate seeds from broken glass. |
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Post by bonsaioutlaw on Nov 21, 2012 19:45:18 GMT -5
I got a laugh out of that Joseph. Thank you.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Nov 22, 2012 6:26:44 GMT -5
I think an improvised gravity table could be made to work for that problem Joseph.
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Post by DarJones on Nov 25, 2012 2:40:24 GMT -5
Store the seed in plastic ziploc bags inside glass jars. Then if the glass breaks, just pick up the plastic bags and you are ready to plant.
DarJones
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Nov 25, 2012 18:31:06 GMT -5
What is the best medium to store seeds in to remove as much oxygen as possible?
Salt? powdered wood chips? powdered carbon? Vacuum?
For some reason I’m afraid to use carbon. But would salt be dangerous to the seeds? Salt is cheap, and it seems like it would fill the space and also potentially help dry the seeds if still partially moist.
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Post by johno on Nov 25, 2012 19:28:27 GMT -5
Wood ash is a common traditional seed saving medium. I wouldn't use salt.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Nov 25, 2012 19:43:26 GMT -5
If you want to remove oxygen from an airtight container, use an oxygen absorber. Basically its a gas permeable pouch filled with superfine iron fillings. In an airtight container like a jar or a sealed mylar bag they rapidly (>24 hrs) remove 99.9% of the oxygen. In a non-airtight container, like your pocket, they heat up pretty hot very quickly. www.usaemergencysupply.com/emergency_supplies/oxygen_absorbers.htm |
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Post by davida on Nov 25, 2012 19:55:22 GMT -5
What is the best medium to store seeds in to remove as much oxygen as possible? Salt? powdered wood chips? powdered carbon? Vacuum? For some reason I’m afraid to use carbon. But would salt be dangerous to the seeds? Salt is cheap, and it seems like it would fill the space and also potentially help dry the seeds if still partially moist. I store my most cherished seeds in paper packets in a gallon zip lock bag filled with silica gel. Then I squeeze out as much air as possible and store in the refrigerator. The silica gel absorbs moisture and changes colors when it is saturated. Then you can bake the silica gel in the oven and reuse. I'm more concerned about moisture than the small amount of oxygen left in the bags. |
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Post by oxbowfarm on Nov 25, 2012 20:44:06 GMT -5
Moisture is important, for short term storage the best thing to do is get your seeds as dry as you possibly can. But for long term storage basically dry is a given and the two important factors are temperature of storage and a reduced oxygen environment. The colder you can get them the better and its best to reduce the oxygen level to as close to zero as you can. That is why the National Seed Storage Laboratory stores the long term seed accessions in cryotanks suspended above liquid nitrogen, its super cold and zero oxygen.
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Post by Drahkk on Nov 25, 2012 21:19:32 GMT -5
I use wax paper packets inside glass jars, with silica desiccant, in the freezer, for any seeds I need to store for longer than just fall to the following spring. Haven't worried about oxygen removal yet, but it's a good point; I'll keep it in mind if I need truly long term storage.
Davida, where did you get the type that changes color? The silica desiccant I've been using originally came in small individual packets, and stays clear/translucent regardless of use. Every year or so I spread it all out on a cookie sheet and bake it for a few hours to make sure it's dry, but I have no way of knowing for sure when it's gotten saturated again.
MB
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Post by davida on Nov 26, 2012 10:38:59 GMT -5
Davida, where did you get the type that changes color? The silica desiccant I've been using originally came in small individual packets, and stays clear/translucent regardless of use. Every year or so I spread it all out on a cookie sheet and bake it for a few hours to make sure it's dry, but I have no way of knowing for sure when it's gotten saturated again. MB MB, we purchased Dri Splendor Silica Gel at Hobby Lobby for $ 12.99 for a 5 pound bag. It turns from blue to pink when saturated. It is used to preserve fresh flowers so should be in most "hobby" type stores or on the internet, if you do not have a Hobby Lobby in your area. |
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Post by davida on Nov 26, 2012 12:18:16 GMT -5
Moisture is important, for short term storage the best thing to do is get your seeds as dry as you possibly can. But for long term storage basically dry is a given and the two important factors are temperature of storage and a reduced oxygen environment. The colder you can get them the better and its best to reduce the oxygen level to as close to zero as you can. That is why the National Seed Storage Laboratory stores the long term seed accessions in cryotanks suspended above liquid nitrogen, its super cold and zero oxygen. Wow, we are talking about a totally different definition of "long term". Your definition is probably closer to what the thread is about. My definition of long term is 3 to 5 years. Just long enough to add diversity to my plantings or long enough to have enough seeds to last thru several bad years or to have enough seeds to share in bad times. So for 3 to 5 years, I follow what Steve Solomon (the founder of Territorial Seed Company) states on pages 132 and 133 of his book "Gardening When It Counts" "How rapidly a dormant embryo consumes its food supply, and how much or little that supply becomes degraded over time , depends on storage temperature and humidity. There is a rule of thumb about seed storage: Every 10F (5C) increase in temperature above what might be called "standard conditions," combined with a 1 percent increase in the moisture content of the seed, cuts the storage life of the seed in half. On the other side, for every 10F decrease in storage temperature with a 1 percent decrease in the moisture content of that seed, the storage life of the seed doubles. Standard conditions are assumed to be 70F (21C) with enough humidity in the air that the seed stabilizes at 13 percent moisture by weight, which is what usually happens in a temperate climate. If we could cut the storage temperature to 60F (15.5) and at the same time dry the air a bit so the moisture content in the seeds dropped to 12 percent, the seeds would last twice as long." .... "If you keep your seeds in a cardboard box in a steamy green house, they won't last a year."..... "One other thing shortens seed storage life: the stress of change. Seeds will do much better if their temperature and moisture content don't alter." Then he goes on to explain about keeping seeds in an air tight container with silica gel in the refrigerator. When we think of the seeds that we are saving as "dormant embryos" and that these embryos must still have enough energy to germinate and develop the plant to the size necessary to receive nutrients from the soil, the importance of retaining as much food supply by proper seed saving techniques becomes apparent. |
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