Did you know that cannabis seeds can last for years if you store them properly? Storage may be important to you as either a grower or as a retailer who sell seeds. This article has all the information you need to properly store seeds that will last for years.
A cannabis seed is actually a living thing that’s filled with hormones meant to be used up during germination. Those levels of hormones will slowly drop over time. Therefore, when you store seeds, your goal is to slow that drop down enough so that basically nothing happens inside the seed. This keeps the hormones available for years down the road. To bring the drop of hormones down to nothing, you have to eliminate fresh air, light, humidity exposure, and heat exposure. That’s all there is to it. Now let’s talk about an example of storage that can keep seeds good for decades.
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If you put your seeds inside of non-transparent re-sealable zipper storage bag and then inside of a mini-fridge that’s between 31-41ºF/2-5ºC, that’s perfect storage. Personally, I’m not a fan of going below freezing temperature (32ºF/0ºC). For additional effectiveness, throw a couple of moisture absorbing silica gels into the fridge along with the seeds. That will bring down the humidity even further. Be careful though. It is possible to over-dry seeds so don’t overdo it with the silica gel. For example, don’t just put, say, five seeds inside a bag and then throw a ton of silica gel right in there with them. That will do more harm than good. How long can seeds be stored with this method? If you do the fridge method right, your seeds will be good for decades. It’s a great way to preserve rare genetics.
If you want to skip the mini-fridge technique, there are alternate methods that will still allow your seeds to be good for years. Let’s talk about one more method. First, simply put your seeds inside of an ordinary re-sealable zipper storage bag and then put that bag inside of a non-permeable container. Close the lid, put the container inside a non-humid cool room, and that’s it! This method will keep your seeds good for several years. I know because I have tested it. If you’re a retailer or buying seeds at a retail store, I want to take the time to point out that the worst thing you can do is have your seeds out on display in a store that is constantly exposed to light and heat. Some seed banks, unlike mine, package their seeds in transparent packaging for the sake of presentation. Not good. If you are a retailer and your seeds sell slowly, it’s better to just have a menu of them out while you keep the actual seeds tucked away. What method of seed storage do you use? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
