How to Organize Your Garden Seeds

Discover the 3 breakthroughs that enable us to grow a year-round supply of food with ease!

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When you open up your seed collection, you'll need to answer three primary questions:
1.Where are my seeds? 2.How old are my seeds? 3.How many seeds do I have left?

Most people talk about methods for storing or organizing their garden seeds, but if you are not also keeping track of the age and number of your seeds, it doesn't matter much what type of box you are using. That's why I share our whole 4 step routine for storing and tracking our seed collection as we use it. Each step is simple, but they are all important for making your gardening life easier in the long run.

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[imperialthreat]

I have never seen anyone store seeds in a photo album before but thats absolutely brilliant!!! So practical!

[nancyspruiell]

So, I keep mine in a plastic photo organizer from Michael's. I keep different types of b
seeds in each box..i.e. tomatoes, beans, peas. I also keep them organized for this year's planting with labels such as :"To start indoors (with postit note on each with date to start and keep them in order)", "Already planted", "direct sow". Considering I probably have 60 packs of seeds or more and many used, no way I can figure out how many unless they are large seeds. When empty, I keep a separate box for empties and then they are together any time I'm thinking to order and need to know what I am out of instead of searching through a book or all containers. (I also add them to a list I keep on my phone titled "Seeds to Buy" :). Happy growing!

[dudeusmaximus]

We have a big garden and grow quite a number of things in 6 plots plus a 7th for permacrops, herbs, and seedsaving. Use spreadsheets to keep track of the inventory of both bought and saved seed. Keep mine in ziploc bags and categorized into what is planted in a plot. I do keep them in a freezer which works well with the ziplocs to balance moisture. Will take older seed every year and recycle it to cover crop, which helps to keep bacteria in the soil, accumulate minerals, and attract bees. Will inventory in December, make my garden plan (which just rotates and doesn't change much), then order in Jan. Very ruthless on variety choice, we grow to produce and put up, inventory stays mostly the same but we do add and remove a few varieties every year to find the best one for what we are trying to do. System works well for us.

[traiecto]

I tried this fantastic 5S Lean technique (I do Lean Urban Permaculture). Packets here in Spain are so different in size, plus we have in summer 27C (80F) inside, so I gave up boxes and have each kind of seed in a plastic ziploc bag, and all in a large ziploc bag in the vegetable drawer in my refrigerator. The idea of organization is a must, cleaning, writing down, but the tool must be the right one for your own context.

[schroeder]

I started to use your binder storage technique last year and it’s great. I have too many seeds, but at least they’re marked with the year and organized. I have 3 binders: veggies A-L, veggies M-Z, and flowers. I think I will separate out herbs to another binder this year.

[amitkukreti]

Aapki is video se mujhe bohot help mili hai, or mujhe ye kehna hai ki jin vegetables k seeds ham ghar pe bna skte hein iske liye hme kam karna chaiye market pe hi depend nhi rehna chaiye!!

[itowmyhome]

Thank you, I have taken an additional step, I take a picture of the seed packet, front and back. Use an app to combine them and print them out on a single sheet of paper and put that into a binder. An example would be tomatoes I take a picture front and back, put it on one piece of paper and put it into the binder under tomatoes, that way I have a light binder that I can flip through to see all the seeds that I have currently on hand with a description to help when deciding when to plant how to plant where to plant without having to wrestle with a heavy binder full of seeds. I currently have two 3 inch binders full of seeds, and I’m looking to add another

[TheRainHarvester]

I made a seed saving method video too. It makes them smaller for the fridge!

[ritamccartt-kordon]

I am a 71 year old who knows nothing about machines. I do not have the strength of a Man. I am considering a Broad fork. There are so many! Which Broad Fork do you prefer to use?
I'm thinking of my future as a gardener. Age is something NO one talks about. My knees are bad. I'm still able to manage a garden, just not the large gardens I used to have. I'm thinking of putting a Greenhouse near my house, instead of where I now have my garden. Which is at least 270 feet away from my house. I want to grow food in the winter months, for fresh eating, instead of store bought food.
GOD bless

[robmarshallofficial]

You could also collect your own seeds so you don’t have to keep buying them

Well, I had a hard time to discard 10 years old seed package. I know its dead by now but it feels strange (like what if its still alive?). I need to get more organised and decisive.

[shannonmiller]

I keep mine in the refrigerator as i read it keeps the seeds longer. Is this unnecessary?