# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Gardening >  Canning Seeds

## Gray Wolf

Has anyone dried seeds and canned them? I've seen them for sale, and their expensive! They state they can be stored safely for a minimum of 4 years at 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and much longer at lower temperatures. Each 5.6 degree drop in storage temperature will double the storage life of non-hybrid seeds. Critical factors are temperature and moisture content.

I think it would be wise (if it can be done properly) to have a can of dried seeds that I could store for that long a time and have if I had to 'get out of Dodge' in case of a disaster, and move someplace else.

This is what one site was selling for $45 before S&H.
- 16 Easy To Grow Garden Vegetables
- Special Open Pollinated 100% Non-Hybrid Seed Selection
- Precisely Dried For Long Term Storage ( 4 Years + )
- Exclusive E-Z Lock Resealable and Reuseable Bags
- Triple - Layered Foil Packets Sealed In A Can For Extra Protection

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## Rick

GW - I have sseds that have been in my garage fridge for 3-4 or even 5 years and I'm still planting them. I've planted onion sets that were two years old and they were viable. I've never canned seeds but I often dry my own, label them and put them in the fridge with the others. Even $2.00 seeds from Wally World is viable after 2 and 3 years. The coolerair in the fridge is drier and, of course, resists molds and other diseases. Youi certainly loose some seeds during that time but my experience has been that you don't lose enough to worry about.

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## crashdive123

I hadn't thought about canning them.  I did read some info a while back on putting them in a vaccum sealed bag and freezing them.

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## BraggSurvivor

GW, I have built mini PVC seed canisters and buried them under ground at 4-5'. They will store for years and years. 

I use 18"- 6" PVC pipe with double rubber O ring compression fittings on each end. I  drill a 3/8" hole for a vacuum valve (to remove air and moisture). I open the valve, push the compression fitting on each end and then use my vacuum pump to remove all the air. (if removing the end compression fittings for any reason, be sure to replace seals each time).

Keeps the seeds at a constant temperature all the time.   :Wink:

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## laughing beetle

Bragg, that is an excellent idea!!  Definatly filing that one at the front of the to do list!

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## BraggSurvivor

> Bragg, that is an excellent idea!!  Definatly filing that one at the front of the to do list!


You can use them for almost anything you want to preserve or hide.   :Wink: 

Here in Canada when gun registry was introduced, guys built the units to bury restricted and prohibited ammo, mags and guns.

I wouldn't know anything about that.  :Smile:

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## laughing beetle

Know anything about what?  :Confused:  those plastic thingies?? :Confused:  :Wink:  those are used to fake out the woodchucks so they stay out of the veggie patch! :Wink:  :Big Grin:

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## Gray Wolf

Thanks All, and especially Bragg for a unique viable solution.

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## canid

seed preservation is nice, and can give you longer storage life, and higher germination rates than ambient household storage, but i'm still planting, and seeing fair germination rates from asparagus, walla walla onion, carrots and kale packed in 2003, pak choy from 2002, etc and these have been sitting unsealed, in a cupboard that sees prolonged summer periods of 100f. the only things not germinating well where the anehiem chilis and one of the yellow squash. weevils got to the corn and some of the cilantro.

take all the precautions to extend the life of your seed collection, but have faith that they are hardier than a company desperate to sell their products would have you believe.

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## Gray Wolf

> take all the precautions to extend the life of your seed collection, but have faith that they are hardier than a company desperate to sell their products would have you believe.


That's why I posted this. Please keep us informed on your experiments.

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## Gray Wolf

Bragg the more I think about your idea, the more I feel it's the best solution, for many reasons if everyone thinks about it. One is having many stashes (for a lot of reasons) in different areas. Excellent Bragg! Thanks for sharing.

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## nell67

Well,wonders never cease!! Nice post there Bragg!

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## BraggSurvivor

Just an added tidbit, do not use a petrol based "lube" on the compression fitting. Spend the extra $1.29 for the proper plumbers lube or ask WE to ship some out to you. (I'm betting he has lots)  :Big Grin:

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## catfish10101

I have to agree with Canid on this one. I have crooked necked pumpkin seeds that are about 4 years old. I dried them on news paper in the kitchen for about 10 days and wrapped them in paper towel and put in a paper envelope. I will plan to plant them this coming spring and fully expect a great harvest. My uncle has a farm and has seeds wrapped in a towels, hanging from the barn rafters that are well over 15 years old that he still uses from time to time. As long as they stay dry, and are not eaten by pests, they will actually keep very well. One thing about freezing or keeping in the fridge is that if the power goes out, the temp change could affect them because of moisture. I keep my seeds in the bedroom closet in a paper envelope and it works very well.

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## BraggSurvivor

Here is a pic of a canister that I built today. I used different compression fitting ends then I used on previous ones. These fitting allow air to escape as they are pushed on. The downside is it creates a vacuum when fitted and they are hard to get off. (not a big deal as they are for long term storage) These are 100% waterproof and safe to bury as deep as you want.

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## Rick

Why don't you use a Camp Cap or a screw in end cap? 

http://www.mwssmfg.com/self-closing-sewer-caps.htm

http://tour.airstreamlife.com/weblog/RWA%20flagpole.jpg (not a very good pic).

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## BraggSurvivor

I started with them years ago but with a high water table especially around here, they have leaked under pressure. These have kept everything 100% dry at any depth that I've buried them.

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## Rick

I thought the screw cap would be water proof. Live and learn. Can you install a pet-cock in one end to help with the vaccuum? That would preserve the water proof integrity and make them a little easier to remove.

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## nell67

Stupid question Bragg,when you bury them,how do you keep track of where you place them? Do you have them in a particular area or are they fairly random? Do you have markers for them,sort of like a gravestone?? Something that would fool someone else if they came across the burial site?

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## Rick

I don't think that's a dumb question at all. Folks forget where they buried gold and other valuables so marking the site makes sense.

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## BraggSurvivor

About three years ago I was hauling hay to my kids 4H steers with a bale spear. I backed the tractor up to a bale, speared it and began to lift the 3 point hitch. As I pulled forward I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was 3 one hundred ounce bars of silver and 10 ounces of gold. I had stuffed them between the bales two years previous because the ground was froze and I had forgotten all about it.  :Big Grin:  Sometimes I wonder what else I'll run into someday that I have forgotten about.

As for my sites, I'm not going into detail, but I plant a tree beside each area. My wife does not even know where I put this stuff. I have things set up if something were to happen to me as well as if something were to happen to the both of us that it would be found.

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## nell67

Cool.no real details needed Bragg,just wondered if you marked the area,because I was thinking along the lines of what Rick said,people are notorious for forgetting things.

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