drying your own seed so it lasts for years

[jimtheworzel]

you will need......a big jam-jar with a good lid,
an old pair of tights,
a rubber band,
and some rice
You need to use at least twice as much rice as you have seed. It doesn't matter if you have too much rice, but too little won't work.

Bake the rice on a tray in the oven for 45 minutes until it is bone dry. While it is still hot, put it in the jam-jar , about half full, and screw the lid on .

Wait patiently until the rice is cool. (If you rush this you'll cook your seeds.) So you now have a jam jar 1/2 full of very dry, cool rice.

Put your seed in a bag made by cutting off the foot of the tights, and tie it in with a rubber band. Put it in with the cool dry rice. Put the lid on tightly, so damp air can't get in.

Leave your seed sealed in the jar with the dry rice for a fortnight, and the dampness in the seed will be drawn out into the rice.

You now have bone-dry seed that you can safely seal in a plastic bag, and it will keep for several years.

[jimtheworzel]

[taurus]

does this work for all sizes of seeds ie beans and peas ? 

[jimtheworzel]

cant see why not


jim

[tonybloke]

erm, this doesn't actually work!!

if it did, why would the millennium seed bank be held in a huge underground refrigerated store!!

part of my National Award in Organic Horticulture and Food Production was to find out how to preserve heritage varieties of seed.
below is a link to the best info on seed saving.


http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html

you can download a free document from the front page.
rgds, Tony

[1066]

have you tried this Jim?

[tonybloke]

seed saving ain't all about drying.


too much dessication will kill the seed (seeds are alive, just dormant)