How to Properly Store Your Seed Inventory

We think it's important not to only sell quality seed grown using organic methods to our hydroponic and soil-based home gardener, but also instruct new growers on how to best preserve their seed investment.

Plastic organizers may be appealing visually, but they are not practical if you're looking to preserve your seed stash for longevity — especially if your container does not seal completely.

Here’s what you will want to plan on doing whenever you purchase new seed from Grow Your Health Gardening Seed Co. or other seed stewards:

Once you get your order of seeds, place your seed packet(s) in some sort of sealed glass container right away and store in a spot that is consistently away from light, cool, and low in humidity (dry) within your home.

We recommend placing your seeds with an oxygen absorber if possible, in a wide-mouth glass Mason jar that has a screw-on lid. Keep this closed, sealed glass jar in your refrigerator until it is time to plant your seeds. Try to keep your humidity levels below 60% at all times. A general rule of thumb for seed storage is that temperature + humidity level should not ever exceed 100%.

When the time to plant comes, be sure not to leave seed packets out and exposed to the intense hot rays of the sun. We also recommend using glass containers that seal with a metal lid because rodents can chew through plastic lids/containers. And remember, when you are finished using your seed, immediately return any left-over seed packet(s) to the same protected environment as indicated above.

Know that when you put into practice these simple steps, it can dramatically extend the life of your seed investment! 

And if you want to see a real-life example of how controlling these factors can affect the life of a seed, you can read about how a rancher found a clay pot and sold it to a collector who uncovered that inside was 1,000 year-old corn seed with lost traits. You can read more about this story here!