Storing seeds for winter

[alandallas]

Hi all, I want to store my D. capillaris seeds for the winter so that they can be planted in a restored bog in East Texas in the spring. DiAmotto's Savage Garden says to keep them refrigerated but doesn't say how long they will stay viable.

Also thinking about when to plant them in Zone 8. My guess is in late Feb. or early March. They are at this time in the fridge so obviously I can't put them out now or stratification will not occur.

This is a worthwhile project as several volunteers have put in a lot of time and effort to restore this bog. Otherwise a great number of S. alatas would have been destroyed if not for these folk's efforts.

Any good information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Cold and dry are what the seeds need. Mine are folded in paper, labeled as to name and date collected and inserted into little ziplock bags. I keep some dessicant in the seed box. Use of index cards makes it easier to find what you need when you need it. Once a year or so unused and unwanted seed get donated to seed banks while viability is still high.

 

[alandallas]

Thanks for the info Tamlin. My idea was close to your suggestions except that I placed my seeds in a small airtight plastic container with label. What I didn't do was to use dessicant and that sounds like an excellent idea. I will get some and place in with the seeds.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

I don't know if the dessicant in the bottle is a good idea, it might dry them out too much, not sure of this.

 

[Vic Brown]

I've kept D. capillaris seed and many other Drosera seed in the refridgerator over winter (Temp 4C / 35F) with no noticable loss of viability.  I've found that by storing seed in paper envelopes, inside small ziplock bags the seed stays dry, the paper absorbs any excess moisture. Instructions on how to make paper envelopes can be found here, How to make seed envelopes
This will appeal to all who like a bit of origami or are bored, but it's a really useful and inexpensive way to store CP seeds.
Cheers

Vic

 

[alandallas]

Tamlin, I see your point about keeping seeds in plastic containers. I will make and envelope as per Vic's link and store them as you experts do.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

It seems there are as many different ways to store seed as there are people doing it.

Most methods involve keeping the seed as dry and cool as possible. My technique involves using small PTFE vials that have a sealing cap, cotton, and gelatin capsules filled with dessicant. I place the seed into the vials, insert a small piece of cotton to restrict the seed to the bottom of the vial, then I place a gel cap of dessicant on top of the cotton, finally I cap the vial securely. I use a pre-drilled block of wood to hold the vials securely as they are then placed into the refrigerator. I have seed that has been stored this way maintain most of its viability for more than a decade.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Joseph,
That sounds like a great system. Then the dessicant should be right with the seed in the vial? I have always wondered about this. Thanks for the tip!