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seeds Should I vacuum seal my seeds?

D

dragon49

I have a good system for saving seeds:
 
Step 1: Get the seeds out. If the pepper is hot, use latex gloves to protect your hands. Use a knife to split the pepper. Use any logical method to get the seeds out. I use my thumb and index finger.
 
Step 2: Put the seeds into a paper cup. It is not necessary to remove any placenta or plant material from the seeds, nor is it necessary to dry the seeds with a paper towel or any other method. Leave the cup anywhere indoors for at least 30 days. 
 
Step 3: Label a Ziploc bag with the seed type and year. Put a silica gel desiccant pack in the bag, add the seeds and seal.
 
Step 4: Put the bag into a large yellow manila envelope.
 
 
This is proven to work, as I've germinated 4 year old seeds saved with this method and I've had good germination rates overall.
 
 
I have a great vacuum sealer and Foodsaver bags.  Would it be an "upgrade" to my system if I vacuum sealed all of the seeds, with or without desiccant bags?
 
Thanks
 
i do , put them in ziplocs then put those in a vacuum bag , then vacuum on gentle , label the outside with whats in there . store in the crisper in the fridge . last for really long time 
 
this doesnt crack any of the seeds? And since seeds are living things albeit in a state of slow animation till conditions are right, dont they still need air to live?Thisis very interesting to me if this works as I have considered it but always assumed it a bad idea...
 
moruga welder said:
i do , put them in ziplocs then put those in a vacuum bag , then vacuum on gentle , label the outside with whats in there . store in the crisper in the fridge . last for really long time 
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I just noticed my sealer does have a "gentle" setting.   I have no room in the refrigerator for seeds, but they are in a basement that doesn't get too warm.
 
I think this might be dangerous ...
 
In a sense, "airless" = anaerobic, and anaerobic = botulinuum toxin ...
 
Unlike most food poisoning, botulinuum toxin, the spores of which are hearty as hell, can cause an b-line to well, dying ...
 
You should never vacuum seal garlic or onions etc, and you probably don't really want to vacuum seal seeds either.
 
A system to keep them dry, but which leaves the oxygen, would be best I believe ...
 
Like putting little baggies in a larger Tupperware that has rice or something ...
 
.02
 
 
moruga welder said:
i 'd probably move them upstairs to the coolest and dry room you have . may get molded downstairs 
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if they are sealed what does humidity levels matter? and i agree with grant.. something just doesnt sit right with me about vaccuum sealing... if it was any better of a method, they'd use it at the seed vaults etc...
 
 
moruga welder said:
never said it was better , just said thats what i do , and have yet to have any problems     :party:
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wasnt trying to put words in your mouth,I would just take it as a given that the OP asking "Should I" is a question of if its better or not same as in food storage... People dont just  vacuum seal their food cause they have nothing better to do, they do it cause its a better storage method...
 
JUR-Z-Devil said:
 
 
wasnt trying to put words in your mouth,I would just take it as a given that the OP asking "Should I" is a question of if its better or not same as in food storage... People dont just  vacuum seal their food cause they have nothing better to do, they do it cause its a better storage method...
Click to expand...
 
I'm sure that if you are just a bit more forceful in your position, everyone will come around to your ways.  This post wasn't as angry and angst ridden as usual, so it's a little hard to know exactly what you're getting at.
 
I have never seen vacuum sealed seeds.

Ever.

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If there is ANY moisture whatsoever, and you vacuum seal them, they will rot. That's why seeds are best kept in paper.
 
Look at the doomsday seed vault. Seeds are stored in heat sealed three ply foil packages and kept at -18° C. They expect seed could remain viable for hundreds to thousands of years under these conditions. It's probably a no-brainer to assume all seeds are ideally prepared for storage.
 
When you phrase the question "should I vacuum seal my seeds", perhaps you are inviting more of a discussion than a definitive answer.
 
Should you?  Not without a specific reason.
Can you?  Sure.  It won't ruin them, and may provide some marginal value.
 
Is there any reason that you should not?  Well, it's a lot of work, it's unnecessary, it's overkill, it involves additional resources, etc, etc, etc.  Paper storage, on the other hand, is an age old method - simple, effective, cheap.  

If vacuum sealing makes you happy, and secure in the idea that your seeds are well protected, then your particular system of values becomes the limiting factor.  I mean, I like foreplay with my lady, but a lot of my acquaintances tell me that you can arrive at the same conclusion without it. (apparently, they fall asleep just as easily afterwards as I do) Personal choices.
 
I've not even been mussing around with the silica gel dessicant things....
 
Oh, well.  I saved enough; i'll be ok, even with a low germ rate.
 
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