Best organiser or way to store/file seed packets, paperwork and seeds

[Dynamite]

Hi There. I'm gradually getting a nice load of seed packets, which are used, not used yet and half used. I also have other paperwork I want to save such as plant markers etc that came with the product when I bought them so I can know what things are later.

They are all split between a shoe box and carrier bag and I can't help thinking that there must be a more efficient way to store and file it all.

Does anyone have any tips on what works best for you?

Kind Regards.........Rob

[Penellype]

I keep my seed packets in shoe boxes, sorted out at the beginning of the season under months when I am going to sow them. When planted they go in a section labelled "waiting to germinate" and once finished they are filed in alphabetical order in another box. I keep one of each empty packet in yet another box.

Labels are kept in a pot, bound together with elastic bands into types, eg brassicas, onion family, peas and beans, carrot family etc.

[veggiechicken]

A few ideas at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...eds_88302.html

[Cadalot]

Open packs go into small zippy bags in the plastic boxes in alphabetical order - I now have three boxes of tomato seeds and Three toolboxes not two. The unopened seeds and seeds for next year and the year after bought in the Wyevale sales are grouped together and sow by year.

[Kirk]

Mine works out like this:
I buy the seeds from Moreveg - smaller quantities.
Rachel at Moreveg sends them in a padded envelope.
I write on the envelope in a big felt tip pen the year - now = 2017, last years naturally 2016.

Some of 2016 seeds I may try if feeling lucky.
Mainly plant this years.

Older ones, 2015, get discarded, basically the whole padded envelope gets binned.

That way I have the same year in one envelope, do not have lots of packets in a box getting mixed up, I know the year purchased, not too difficult to locate a yellow/brown 8x5 padded envelope.

Seems to work for me so far.
Would not work if it were not for the packet sizes from Moreveg.

[vixylix]

I'm with you dynamite... I've been trying to find a way to store them in a folder, but struggled to come up with anything useful so far. If you find something let me know!

[MarkPelican]

I store them in shoeboxes in alphabetical order if there are multiple packets of the same type, they go in a bigger envelope all together. I've then got a spreadsheet with all of my seeds with dates over which they can be sown. Each year, I add a column to the spreadsheet that shows when I actually sowed them and when I harvested them. That way I can repeat (or change) what I do simply.

[Small pumpkin]

It all depends on how your head works
My tiny little mind likes simple.
I have 6 tins (biscuits, chocolates, you know the ones you used to get at Christmas before they went to plastic).
They are split into veg, salad, micro greens, peas & beans, flowers & herbs.
Within these they are split into type, sowing time and planting location.
I'm not overly fussed about open or unopened or sow by date ( mostly because I'm tight and they are going to get sown ).
It works for me.

Labels, new ones kept in a draw, all others are kept in a tin, in bundles the same as the seed tins ( veg, salad, ect ect ) plus a bundle of used but cleaned.

[fishpond]

Keep them wherever I happen to be at the time or all over the floor.
That wasn't any help at all was it?

[BUFFS]

I have got rid of my 10k chicken manure tubs and now its plastic choccy/biscuits tubs, one for veg, one for perennials ( including bonsai), and one for annuals, so that's nice and simple, just like me the OH reckons, next week I am doing shoelaces.....

[lmayhow]

I have a rectangular 'really useful box', last year I tried alphabetical order did my head in (dyslexia may have been part of my problem). This year same box but envelopes of my rotation sections ie legumes, brassica's etc along with salad and greenhouse.... I have also started my own online blog only for me to look at to keep a loge....

[Root66]

Wow, I aspire to have Cadalot's organisation! I must have a little OCD because everything there looks just righttttt )))

[Snoop Puss]

Are you casting nasturtiums on Cadalot there, Root66?

Me, I have a small toolbox. Inside are my seed packets grouped by family (brassicas, alliums, solanaceae, cucurbits, etc.). I record sowing dates by family in a notebook, the intention being that I will sow them on said dates. It rarely happens though... In the same notebook, I record the names of seeds that I've used up but want to grow again so that I don't forget what they were when it comes to ordering time.

Plus, once or twice a year, I go through them and chuck out ones that didn't germinate, do well or on reflection I'm never going to grow.

[Cadalot]

Wow, I aspire to have Cadalot's organisation! I must have a little OCD because everything there looks just righttttt )))

Thank you for that vote of confidence, I did have an log of all my seeds so that when the Wyevale seed sale happened I didn't top up on too many seeds, (umm that didn't work) this year I'm just making a list of what I need to get in the sale rather than what I have as there is too much there to log now.



Here is my Label box, I use my trusty Brother P-Touch and keep the labels for re use, and inside the Bryant & May Extra Long Safety Match boxes they are grouped together and have elastic bands on to make it easy to find and yes the ones for the tomatoes are in alphabetical order.

[Gillykat]

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Open packs go into small zippy bags in the plastic boxes in alphabetical order - I now have three boxes of tomato seeds and Three toolboxes not two. The unopened seeds and seeds for next year and the year after bought in the Wyevale sales are grouped together and sow by year.

Ooooh I LOVE this system!!!

My current disorganisation is flower seeds in one box and edibles (veggies & herbs) in another