Seed Organising!

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Guys n Gals!

Ok, I need help......... my (our) seed addiction has now left me with a serious problem, how to organise and store all the various packets of different varieties of seeds that we have!

Previously we've used a month by month system, using a large basket (the type bread gets delivered in) subdivided into Monthly planting, but its becoming almost impossible to find the seeds that we want at any time without going through them all!

Just wondered how you store and organise your seeds, I need a new system pronto, especially as another 119 packets came home from Wyevales today! Eeek!

[zazen999]

For my schools; and I've got 5...I am doing a monthly sowing system, but instead of shoving packets in each month, I'm separating them into bags so that I grab a bag and make sure that is sown in that month; if you get my drift.

Otherwise like you I end up with seeds all over the place, and I find the ones I want and then they get shoved somewhere they shouldn't and get forgotten.

[chris]

I started to write a website to catalog and text/email me about seeds I have ready for sowing/harvesting - and the location of them (I've two make shift seed boxes)... it fell to the wayside though so will watch this thread with anticipation

[Brengirl]

I use one of these but still get in a muddle.

[The Large One]

iv'e just spent the last 4 nights logging our seeds onto a XL spreadsheet with variety, sow date, plant out date and harvest time also seed expire date (but not taking too much notice of that as speaker at the National garden show says most seeds if kept in air tight container are still ok 20 + years)
i will hopefully, with SWMBO's help set searches and macros up to cross ref what needs sowing and which seed packet to use and then eventually have yeilds of produce
but storing will be in icecream tubs with silica gell to absorb any moisture

currently on pack 179 (also after the Wyvales sales)

[SarzWix]

Mine are separated into months, but with that I also subdivide into groups: brassicas; tomatoes; chillis & peppers; other greenhouse crops; peas; beans; alliums; salad leaves & lettuces; miscellaneous (like sweetcorn & beetroot). Then when something is sown in one month and needs to be successionally sown, it gets slotted into the right group in the next month. The key, I find, is having dividers made which don't allow packets to slip round, or under them where they can get lost. Mine are currently made out of cereal packets and the like, with fronts cut off but not sides. I suspect you'd have to use something bigger

[OverWyreGrower]

Oh dear! I have them all just in a box, no organising at all (which is very unlike me!)

I like to have a rummage through them when I'm planting, and I always get surprised at what's in there

However, since getting the Tomato Ketchup seed swap parcel, I definitely need to be more organised!

I shall be watching this thread with interest - do we have pics of what people keep their seeds in?

[crazii_c]

i kept mine in a bag, grouped together into months with elastic bands. however as i keep buying more and more seeds the bag was no good. last month i got a box from the office ( i think it had paper in) so its a decent size. i stuck a bit of cardboard down the middle of it to seperate the box into 2 rows. then cut up bits of card to use as dividers with the months written on them. i also have other dividers for herbs/ flowers/ salads.

however if i keep buying seeds at the rate i am, i think the box will soon be too full!

[roitelet]

Now I am going to be really boring!!

I am a bit of a seedaholic and have finally come to the conclusion that rationalisation is the answer. After all we all only have just so much space to plant and there is a limit on the space we have for storing crops and only so much that we can eat or give away.

So every year I TRY to limit the new things I try sort the seeds out and any that we didn't like or didn't work are either thrown out or passed on. Then go for the month by month packet system.

Its working at the moment at least until the new seed catalogues start arriving!!!!!!

[weekendwellies]

There has been an advert on tv lately for a shoe storage box which goes under the bed. It looks like it has 12 compartments and I thought it would be quite handy for storing seeds, except I have a divan type bed and not really any other suitably sized space to put it so not really useful for me. I think you get them from Asda, Wilkinsons, Poundstretchers and the like.

[jackie j]

I just shove them in a box that are divided into month's and go through them but I do forget to sow some. Next year might be better once the green house is up cos I will have more space to move plants on.
I am going to try to sub divide with cardboard by alphabetical order. Lets see if it works.
One box for veg and one for flowers.

[sbeneli]

I keep them in a plastic storage tub from Ikea with no dividers, but I also separate out my extra seeds into plastic bags for swaps, so I can see easily what I have available to share. Those are in a separate box that also has envelopes, stamps, and a pen for easy swapping!

[Paulottie]

Used to try month by month ...couldn't find a bloomin' thing!

Mine are now in sections..Toms Aubergine chilli etc: Then leafs.inc salad: brassicas: roots: and legumes with maize.

These four boxes remain in a larger one; but during the spring I also have a 'to sow' box that goes around in the trug.

[oldie]

I'm doing much the same as Paulottie, roots, legumes, brassica and others and a sow this month box which I carefully organise on the 32cnd of each month.