Anyone familiar with sprouting seeds and storage?

[Cypher]

I am looking into storing seeds to sprout for emergency use but I am not sure about how long you can store a seed and it still sprout.

Assuming I use a good air tight container to vacuum seal them and keep, hopefully around 70 degrees how long should I be able to store them?

Is it possible to dehydrate the seed and then use it to make a sprout at a later date or will dehydration kill the seed?

Anything else from your vast storage's of knowledge you would lie to share about sprouting/storing seeds?

[Titanium5]

Check out: http://www.survivalblog.com/newbies.html

I am told that JWR is a member of FAL-Files and ocassionally visits our little corner of the web.

Lot's of GREAT 'prep' information there you can wrap your head around.

I also subscribe to the RSS feeds to see the daily summarizes and sync it to my Smartphone via outlook/activesync so I always have it.

[Cypher]

Thanks, I'll check it out. If there is a way to preserve seeds to sprout I think that would be a great emergency food to keep on hand. It would be like eating fresh veggies.

[Fundump23]

ONLY use "heirloom" seeds.

I'll get you yhe address of our local supplier later today. Best price around.

Google "heirloom seeds" for now.

[akinnepa]

Originally Posted by Fundump23

ONLY use "heirloom" seeds.

I'll get you yhe address of our local supplier later today. Best price around.

Google "heirloom seeds" for now.

here's what they don't tell you, If your neighbors (or anyone up to 1/4 mile away) has hybrids will screw up your heirlooms. I'm a decent heirloom gardener, I do it for the taste of the food, in a "prep" way of looking at it you can't guarantee that the seeds will survive, most heirloom breeds have some sort of downfall, so soil prep and proper irrigation is a must. don't think that you can go into the woods and pop a few seeds in the ground and viola tomatoes.

do some reading on it. think of it as a lifetime hobby, I save this years seeds for two years, in case they don't sprout. for a supplier this is your best route

www.territorialseed.com

If you need any help feel free to ask, and BTW where are you located state and USDA zone?

[ccook]

I just bought seeds from survivalist seeds.com
I got there three acre survival garden in a time capsule that keeps them good for 10 years.It cost $175.oo.
does anybody know if this is a good buy?

[Kaleb]

I grow a garden every year. I don't grow hybrid plants. I save seeds for next year in the freezer. Every few years it pays to trade seeds with someone else who does the same thing. Self perpetuation. There's risks involved, but it works. I know there are sealed tins of heirloom seeds for long term storage but I have trouble trusting their quality. You're staking a LOT on them growing you know. If there is some contaminant or seal failure, it could be a very empty tummy for you. Just something to think about.

[ccook]

do you think I should buy several so I have a better chance. I live in an apartment and cannot grow right now. we have family that has a 80 acre farm we plan on going to in the shtf situation.

Originally Posted by Kaleb

I grow a garden every year. I don't grow hybrid plants. I save seeds for next year in the freezer. Every few years it pays to trade seeds with someone else who does the same thing. Self perpetuation. There's risks involved, but it works. I know there are sealed tins of heirloom seeds for long term storage but I have trouble trusting their quality. You're staking a LOT on them growing you know. If there is some contaminant or seal failure, it could be a very empty tummy for you. Just something to think about.

[Fundump23]

I bought a $99 seed vault from this place last year.

http://www.non-hybrid-seeds.com/survivalseedvault.html?roia=!WONhvq1BAAGODWMxMjIAV QAABVhCAAAozA-A



I sent it to my daughter. She has just planted some of the seeds to see how they grow in her area. And how the produce compares to what she has planted in the past.

The whole thing started when she said she was going to try to save her best seeds for next year. I said; "You can't do that anymore." She took it personally. "Don't tell me what I can't do!" So I explained what I knew. And wound up volunteering to send her a "seed vault"


Kaleb is 100% right. What you want to do is (assuming you live in "the country") is go go to your local "farmers market" Ask around. There's always the "heirloom" growers. Exchanging growing info and seeds is the main purpose of any heirloom club.

You'll also want to find the best "natual" ways to protect your crop. After my daughters first garden 5 years ago she called me. "Dad, Help, the bugs have eaten half my crop!" I sent her 2 of Bakers books. Next year I asked what she was doing to protect her garden. "Nothing" she said. "I just planted twice as much and that works fine for me." Last year I think she said she canned up about 300 jars of stuff from her garden and "nearby areas". (Where she gets her blackberry's in August.)

Jerry Baker - "Americas favorite gardener" has lots of books on Amazon.com - real cheap. I've bought most of them over the past 20 years. Early on at full price of $35.00. Now you can get last years book for about $1.95!!!! plus shipping

[Cypher]

What I am planning on doing is eating the sprouts rather than growing a plant, like bean sprouts. I'm assuming seeds for eating sprouts are the same as what you would plant in the ground.