Making A House A Home

If you found a good deal this fall on flower seed packets, you may wonder if you can place them in the freezer to keep them viable for the next planting season. If so, make sure you prepare the seeds before storing them in the freezer during the winter months.

Look at the Expiration Dates

Before you start preparing your flower seeds for storage in your freezer, take a look at the expiration dates on the packages. While they may not have reached the expiry date when you bought the seeds, they may expire before you have a chance to plant them in the spring.

If you find any that will expire during the winter, you may still be able to grow some flowers from them, depending on the overall condition of the seeds. However, store these seeds separately from those that do not expire before the planting season so that you will know.

Put the Packets in Plastic Zipper Bags

Although seeds are dormant and able to withstand the cold temperatures in your freezer, you still need to protect them from freezer burn. You can do this by placing the seed packets in plastic zipper bags specifically designed for your freezer.

When you do seal up the bags, make sure you remove as much air as possible from them. You can do this by closing the bag around a straw and sucking out as much air as possible, then sealing the zipper the rest of the way. However, before you take this step, there is one other thing you need to do before sealing up the bag, as explained in the next section.

Add Rice to the Bags Before Sealing

Even though the air in your freezer is generally drier than the exterior air, the seeds will still be exposed to some moisture while they are in the bags. If the seeds are exposed to this moisture, you run the risk of having partially rotted seeds come spring.

To combat the moisture that may accumulate in the bags, add a handful of rice. The rice will absorb the condensation and keep it away from your seeds. Check the bags once a month to see if you need to replace the old rice with a fresh batch.

Properly preparing your seeds before placing them in the freezer for winter storage can help increase your yield after planting them the next spring. For more information about storing your seeds, contact the business from which you purchased your seed packets online.