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seeds Freezing seeds?

I am planning on ordering seeds in the next week or so. I live in MN, and I'm wondering if the seeds will go bad if they freeze in the mail or in my mailbox. My mail usually comes between 9 or 10 AM and I'm usually not home until 4. The temp outside will most likely be in the single digits F or colder when they arrive. Anything outside will certainly be frozen after 6 or 7 hours if they're not already frozen before they get here. What should I do?
Thanks!
 
You could take a min max thermometer, wrap it in an envelope, place in the mailbox to see. If it does drop below freezing maybe you could put an insulated food bag in the mailbox w/ a tip and note for the carrier. You could bubble wrap the inside of the mailbox for insulation too. Maybe a pocket handwarmer taped inside. I worry about this when I send seeds in December, but I think they are fine if picked up the same day. Another idea is an incandescent flashlight left on in the box (leave a note too). Try to get the seed seller to use a padded envelope. Maybe give them a call and see if they've ever had issues in the winter.
 
i think you should be okay, i got my seeds from judy last week and the seeds had to come from tennessee, the seeds were delivered from our canada postal service via usps. i would imagine at some point in time the package had to have sat in the belly of a cargo plane. then transported in a cold vehicle from airport to canada post sorting plant. once sorted the package would have been delivered by handi bus type vehicle to an outside green box. the package sits until the sleepy postal carrier decides he feels good enough to work where he then picks up the sorted packages from the green box and walks them door to door and they sit in his carrying pouch.

during that period we were experiencing -20C to -30C temperatures.

(you can do a post search as someone asked this question once before, either last year or the year before).

my seeds are in the germination chamber, i soaked them in water overnight, planted some in promix and some in rockwool as an experiment. the rockwool seeds will end up in my dwc(which i may have to make another), the promix will be potted. they hit their bed dec 14 and none have sprouted yet. they are all super hotties, so I am expecting a lengthy germination period.
 
I keep dried seeds in the freezer for future use. In case my current plants die, I have backups. I have retrieved seeds from the freezer after years and still had them grow.
 
there, as proof of seeds traveling in the cold, (our cold), my first bhut jolokia indian carbon just popped out from soil, nothing from the rockwool yet and its my daughters 9th birthday today, i think i will name the plant after her, that will make her excited.
 
Plants developed seeds to survive a lot more then freezing temps. You should be find for the short time they stay in your mailbox.
 
yep, nothing to worry about, yellow 7 pod and dorset naga just popped but i am really watching douglah and barrackpore - hope they don't get that eerie "someone is watching me feeling" and not pop their little heads out!
 
You should be more worried about the postal processing equipment. A letter goes through an unbelievable amount of machinery which can crush the seeds. How do I know? I see this process everyday. It's better to send the seeds in bubble envelopes.
 
i'll be getting me a new fridge. i don't think i'll be able to fit a big ziplock full of seeds in a tiny freezer like the one i'm getting. is it safe to put the seeds in the chiller instead?
 
I think the seeds will be good as long as they are dry enough.

All seeds at genebanks are being stored in freezers http://www.wildchilli.eu/index.php/excursion-cgn
 
Worse come to worse got to the post office and pick up your mail.Just have them hold it like you were traveling.
 
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