Click to expand photo.
Different packets of paper or plastic hold tomato seeds from the WinterSown.Org seed stock collection.
Packets of home-saved seeds are as different as the gardeners that grow them. Photo shows packets made on printers and packets made from an empty teabag wrapper, a pink post-it note, and plain kitchen paper toweling.
Can I store my seeds in plastic packets
instead of paper?
Yes, you can.
Whether you store your seeds in plastic or paper packets is a matter of personal preference. If you choose to save your seeds in plastic packets you will need to be sure that the seeds are bone-dry!
Why do they have to be that dry?
Seeds which aren't thoroughly dry will distribute their moisture throughout all the seeds inside the plastic packet, they can rot from mold and won't germinate.
How do I assure that the seeds are thoroughly dry?
Let your seeds dry on an open plate or in an open bowl for several days after harvesting. Stir them occasionally to allow the seeds on the bottom layers to be exposed to the air.
How can I tell that they are dry?
Dry seeds are very loose, they don't cling to each other, they move quickly and easily across a plate.
Tip suggests these links for further study.
Wildflower Seed Packet Activity
Laura Ingalls Wilder at the Herbert Hoover Library-Museum
HooverArchives.Gov
by Anjoli Kapoor
Projects and Crafts
Home Magazine Newsletter
Issue: May 2003
Microsoft.Com
