Seed Storage - How To Extend Their Viability?

I firmly believe that being able to grow your own food and herbs is your best chance of long term survival. However the research that I have done and seeds that I have purchased all seem to indicate that the seeds basically have expiry dates, in most cases that they are no longer viable after 2 years. While 2 years may seem like a long time, when you can't just pop down to the local store to replace them and weather conditions have prevented you from harvesting a new crop, 2 years just doesn't seem long enough for me.

Does anyone know of a way to extend the viability of seeds?

 

i buy heritage or heirlloom seeds as they are not genetically modified ,so they can literally last for years and years in the right curcumstances , what i have been told to do is too put them in a zip lock bag and place them in the fridge ,and leave them there until needed ,hope this helps cheers jas

 

Thanks Howler,
Have come across the same info and follow it, was just wondering if there where other methods out there specifically for when electricity is a luxury, which it basically is in South Africa at the moment

 

I don't know about extending the viability of pre-packages seeds, but I always harvest the seeds form my garden. I have now three shoe boxes full of seeds I've either collected on my own, or traded at local seed swaps for ones I did not have. There are organizations that exist for this in a lot of countries (Seed Savers Network in Australia, Seed Savers Exchange in the U.S., and Seeds of Diversity in Canada, just to name a few), although smaller offshoots and original exchanges exist all over. It is worth it to check out with Uncle Google the ones that might exist nearest you!

 

i spose if power is a problem i would just be looking to store them somewhere cool/cold and dark , cheers jas

 

Thanks for the advise.

 

I have successfully planted and grown plants from seeds that were at least five years old that were simply put in an breathable container such as a paper bag and thrown in an out of the way place . Freezing them is supposed to extend their life but have nothing for a reference on comparing frozen seeds to non frozen seeds . I have enough mustard green seeds in the freezer right now to plant about an acre of greens for teotwawki that are about four years old and that I expect are still good . Those mustard green seeds were vacuum sealed at the seed processor so hopefully that will extend their life . I do prefer fresh seeds but have occasionally for various reasons used old seeds . It is getting about time for me to replace those mustard green seeds for fresh ones simply to be stored until S.H.T.F. .

 

Thanks Poltiregist, have not been collecting seeds long enough to test their viability at different ages. It's great to hear from someone that has had success user older seeds

 

I can tell you that your assumption is probably most likely correct. And here's why. Somewhere around Svalbard the Norwegians have a bunker with all the world's seeds in case of a major SHTF scenario. This is also the location of a NSA listening post. See map link and look south of the airport.

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=78.23855,375.45570&z=13&t=S&marker0=78.23855,375.45570,unnamed

 

Now about genetic mutated seeds. When was the last time you saw seeds in the middle of your banana? I read on the Internet that damn near all bananas now a days have to be planted with a branch from a living banana tree. I think it may have been because they were trying to control a banana disease or something. I can't remember now. Or it's greed like usual.

GMOs have their benefits and their disadvantages. On one hand you can engineer corn to grow so that it tastes bad to insects and you can make the corn grow in areas it doesn't do well in. Thus you feed a populace. On the other hand it can be engineered so that you control the seeds making them only last a few years in order to net a profit. This is very bad business and we should never F around with food like that or we WILL face the consequences.

Did you know they add fish DNA or something from a fish to tomatoes so they don't freeze?

 

Well, pretty much every organism we eat has been genetically modified by artificial selection.

All cerials
All poultry and livestock

So, if no GMOs you're basically stuck with seafood and wild game

 

According to the Chiquita banana sticker on my bananas, the sticker says USDA organic.

And now it looks like the banana has a virus of its own.





The thing about GMOs is that they can be good or they can be bad. The good is that food can be genetically modified like corn to make it taste bad to locusts thus saving a food source for people and employment, etc. The same is true for the Cavendish banana we eat today. To help protect the banana from the fungus that kills it they can be genetically modified to resist that fungus. Thus people have jobs and bananas to eat.