Mastering Seed Storage: A Vital Guide for All Plant Enthusiasts

Welcome to the wonderful world of gardening and seed storage! As plant lovers and enthusiasts, we understand the thrill of planting seeds and watching them grow into thriving plants. However, one important aspect that often gets overlooked is seed storage. Proper seed storage is crucial for maintaining the viability and germination rates of your precious seeds. In this comprehensive guide, we will dive into the art of mastering seed storage to ensure your seeds remain healthy and ready for planting when the time comes.

Understanding the Importance of Seed Storage

Seeds are like nature's tiny treasures, encapsulating the potential for new life within their tiny shells. Whether you're dealing with pumpkin seeds, vegetable seeds, or exotic plant seeds, proper storage is key to preserving their vitality. By providing the right conditions, you can extend the lifespan of your seeds and maximize their germination rates.

The Basics of Seed Storage

When it comes to storing seeds, the goal is to maintain optimal conditions that mimic the seed's natural environment. Here are some key factors to consider:

• Temperature : Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place to prevent them from germinating prematurely.

• Humidity : Excess moisture can lead to mold growth, degrading seed viability, and seed spoilage. Aim for low humidity levels when storing seeds.

• Light : Exposure to light can degrade the viability of seeds. Store seeds in a dark place or opaque containers.

• Air Circulation : Proper air circulation helps prevent the buildup of excess moisture around the seeds.

**Affordable seed storage bin with 70 slots and air tight containers :

Seed Storage Containers

Choosing the right containers for seed storage is crucial. Opt for airtight containers that prevent moisture from seeping in while allowing for adequate ventilation. Consider using glass jars, plastic containers, or seed storage envelopes to keep your seeds safe and dry.

A 120 seed storage bin with airtight containers for maintaining seed viability throughout the seasons.

Link to product: 120 containers https://amzn.to/4dwA6O0

60 containers https://amzn.to/3AuPfAS

30 containers https://amzn.to/3Xbhxcu

Mastering Seed Storage Techniques

Now that you understand the basics of seed storage, let's explore some advanced techniques to help you become a seed storage pro:

Seed Viability Testing

Before storing your seeds, consider conducting a germination test to assess their viability. This simple test involves planting a few seeds to see how many successfully sprout. Discard any seeds that show poor germination rates to ensure you're storing only the healthiest seeds.

Testing seed germination will help you get a better idea of where your seeds shelf life is at.

Using Desiccants

To absorb excess moisture and maintain low humidity levels, consider adding desiccants like silica gel packets to your seed storage containers. These tiny packets work wonders in keeping your seeds dry and free from mold.

*Affordable Silica packets on Amazon : https://amzn.to/3MczgtE

Another option is to keep your seeds in a room with a dehumidifier. We store our seeds in a finished shed with two dehumidifiers to ensure seeds are kept dry and away from moisture. Dehumidifiers come in small and large sizes depending on your needs. Links below will take you to some affordable dehumidifiers suitable for maintaining your seeds shelf life.

Silica powder is filled into packets of various sizes to best accomodate a variety of needs. These are an excellent choice for keeping your seed dry until the next season, maintaining their shelf life.

Seed Stratification

Some seeds require a period of cold stratification to break dormancy and stimulate germination. To mimic this natural process, store these seeds in a moist medium in the refrigerator for a few weeks before planting.

A Peek Inside the Seed Storage Arsenal

Enclosed within this article is a visual representation of optimal seed storage containers, highlighting the importance of proper storage techniques. Behold the sacred vessels that house the potential for vibrant plant life:

In Conclusion

Mastering seed storage is an essential skill for any plant enthusiast looking to preserve the vitality of their seeds. By understanding the principles of seed storage, implementing proper techniques, and sourcing seeds from reliable suppliers, you can ensure a bountiful harvest and a garden filled with thriving plants. Remember, every seed holds the promise of new life—treat them with care, and they will reward you with beauty and abundance.

Happy gardening and may your seeds flourish in the nurturing embrace of expert seed storage techniques!

Optional Product links :

*Affordable dehumidifiers for smaller rooms: https://amzn.to/46UjT2y

*Affordable dehumidifier for larger rooms: https://amzn.to/4fQt1JF

**Links to seed containers:

120 containers https://amzn.to/4dwA6O0 

                              60 containers https://amzn.to/3AuPfAS

30 containers https://amzn.to/3Xbhxcu

**Affordable Silica Gel packs: https://amzn.to/3MczgtE

Busiest Season Ever, a New Gift Shop, and a Big Thank You!

Wow, what a whirlwind this season has been! I'm so incredibly grateful to each and every one of you for inviting my seeds into your gardens. Your support has kept me busier than ever, and it's an absolute joy to be a small part of your gardening adventures.

With the surge in orders, I've continued to notice a growing number of requests for a catalog. While I'm just one person (with the occasional helping hand from my wonderful spouse), I'm thrilled to share that I'll soon have over 850 varieties of seeds available, including some exciting new additions for 2025!  

That catalog you've been asking for is on the way, I am working on it every day. I'm also working on envelopes for all of our seeds.

The potential Artichoke intro page for the new catalog

The potential Violet Artichoke feature page for the new catalog

The potential artichoke product page for the new catalog.

A Frequently Asked Question...

Some of you have inquired why I don't have employees to help. Here in Colorado, home-based businesses like mine have unique rules – any employee would need to live with us.  Since most of our home is dedicated to seeds, seedlings, and office space, it's a bit of a tight squeeze! Plus, I enjoy the quiet focus of working solo. Hopefully with a storefront one day this will remedy the situation.

Introducing the Gift Shop!

Visit the new giftshop

You might have noticed the new Ash Hollow Farm gift shop section on the website. Blue Pumpkin Seed Co was originally going to be called Ash Hollow Seed Co but my spouse talked me into Blue Pumpkin Seed Co. since I adore the color blue...and pumpkins. A little fun fact 😁

The goal here is twofold: to help keep things going during the slower months (July through December) and to welcome a wider range of garden and botanic products. My long-term dream is to have a brick-and-mortar store, surrounded by a beautiful garden and a giant pick-your-own pumpkin patch!  Since the seed business is seasonal, a broader product selection can help cover those quieter times and keep the dream alive.

I'm proud to add Ash Hollow Tea Co to the site. Ash Hollow is my tea shop I migrated from Etsy. During the cooler months, I love blending hand made small batch teas. I've also imported a range of various Pu-Ehr, Green, White, and Oolong Teas. There's nothing quite like a hot cup of tea while planning next year's garden, right? 

45 hand-crafted artisan soaps have also been added, each inspired by nature's botanicals. These all-natural soaps are crafted with a proprietary blend of oils, that produce bars that are designed to last far longer than typical artisan bars, allowing you to enjoy their captivating scents for weeks on end. My personal favorites are the Dirty Gardener, Autumn Spice, and Cafe Au Latte Bar Soap.

Changes and Updates

To be transparent, even when I procure specialty pumpkin seeds in bulk, they cost quite a bit. Since our most popular items also have the lowest profit margins, I'll be adding new varieties to the mix to even things out. This might mean retiring a few of the slower-selling ones to make room for some newer varieties.

For my Canadian customers, I'm working with an accountant who may be able to help with collecting and submitting Canadian taxes. For now, Etsy is still your best option, and I've also joined Michaels Maker Place, which will have lower prices. You'll find my seeds there too! I am still adding everything to the Maker Place site, so if you see something you want, let me know and I will make it available. I'm also exploring Go Imagine as a potential platform.  Etsy, even with its quirks, is still where 85% of my business comes from, so I'll be staying put there for now.

Garden Update and A Big Thank You

It's been a bit quiet on social media but I'll be back on soon!  Once I'm caught up with orders and the occasional wrestling match with USPS over missing packages, I'll be back to chatting and sharing garden photos.

I can't thank you enough for your patience while I juggle these projects. Your support this season has been incredible, and I'm so excited to see where this little seed business grows next!

A Short October - November Break

Sometime in October or November, I'll be taking a short break to recharge.  I'll also use this time to count inventory, finalize the catalog, work on envelopes, add higher seed quantities to the rest of the pumpkins, count and bag seeds, and make some improvements to the website.

Stay tuned for a clearance sale in October to make room for new varieties.  And if you have any questions or need anything at all, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always happy to help!

Happy growing! -Brian

-If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, please leave a comment below. I am always curious about your thoughts, opinions, and how I can improve and make the site and business better.

Blue Pumpkin Seed Co. - Growing Update!

Hello, fellow gardeners!

I've been working hard and I wanted to take a moment to update you on everything that's been growing (besides the amazing seeds you'll be planting soon)!

Balancing Growth with Family: 

As we welcome the vibrant gardening season, I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support. My focus has always been on providing you with timely order fulfillment. However, I wanted to share that you may experience some slight delays in the coming weeks.

My elderly father recently had a fall and is now in hospice care. While he has shown some encouraging signs of improvement, his needs require a significant amount of my time. I'm working alongside my twin sister and mother, who are his primary caregivers, to balance the demands of the shop with my commitment to my father's well-being. I remain optimistic as his condition improves.

I know any delays can be inconvenient, and I appreciate your understanding. If you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. Your thoughts, prayers, and positive energy during this time are greatly valued.

I am currently fulfilling all the orders for our U.S. and Canadian customers. I do have some intermittent help from my helper Alex who is absolutely amazing and super efficient. Alex is my unsung hero, I couldn't make it through this season with out him.

As for or Canadian customers, I am currently working with my accountant and bookkeeper to see how we can collect and remit taxes to the proper Canadian entities so we can offer the more competitive prices and seed quantities on our website vs our Etsy Shop.

New Seeds on the Block

I've been listening to your requests, and I've got some good news:

• Even more amazing pumpkin varieties! My goal of reaching over 200 pumpkin seed varieties has finally been met. I've set my next goal to offer 250, wish me luck!

• Treated and non-treated options! Per customer requests, I've added more treated versions of our non treated varieties, and more non treated versions of our treated varieties.

• Herbs and veggies galore! Round out your garden with fresh, homegrown goodness.

Plus, I'm adding detailed growing info for all our pumpkin seeds. Get ready for details on vine types, weights, sizes, treatments, and disease resistance!

Visit the "NEW ARRIVALS" section to see the newest additions. More seed varieties are being added!

Behind the Scenes Sneak Peek

Here's what I've been working on to make your experience even better:

• Catalog coming soon! I've had a lot of requests for a physical catalog. It's a big project, but with my graphic design background, a full catalog is being worked on with a tentative Jan. 2025 release.
  

• Speed boost in progress! I have tested the site multiple times and I acknowledge that it can be slow to load and that the mobile version has room for improvement. I am currently looking for options to improve the speed and mobile version.

• Fixing the checkout button! I'm aware of the issue and have Wix tech support on it. In the meantime, if you have trouble, message me directly for a quick workaround.

Where We're Growing

• Gift shop goodies: I'm excited to announce that I'm exploring a potentially new gift shop section on our website. It may feature a curated selection of botanical and garden-themed items from talented local Colorado Springs small businesses. Items may include garden planners, cups, apparel, artisan soaps, our hand blended teas, our fresh roasted coffee beans, artwork prints or a photo book of our seed envelope artwork, gardening tools, micro green kits, mushroom kits, etc. This is a fantastic way to support our community and keep the seed shop thriving during the slower seasons. Do you have items you'd love to see? Specific makers you admire? Let me know! Your suggestions will help shape this exciting addition."
  

• Show your love! I've had some customer requests for Blue Pumpkin Seed Co. apparel. This may also be a possibility, stay tuned!

• Blue Pumpkin Seed Co. tea time! I enjoy making hand blended teas during the colder months. I may be moving our sister company Ash Hollow Tea Co. to this website as I made the difficult decision to close it on Etsy due to the increasing overhead that comes with the Etsy platform. Moving the tea shop to this website will allow me to offer hand blended teas at a more competitive price than previously on Etsy.
  

• 
  

Growing Pains (The Real Kind!)

Growth is exciting but it can present unexpected and new challenges. Some things I am working on:

• Hiring help! I'm learning the ins and outs about hiring another employee. There are a lot of additional overhead costs of having staff. I'm hoping to have a part time employee so I will be able to run the shop more efficiently and get more projects completed in a more timely manner.

• Space invaders! As I transition over to envelopes, I have realized that they are more cumbersome than the old 2x2" plastic bags I was using. I work out of a small humidity controlled shed that has limited space. This may create a delay in rolling out the new seed packets until I brainstorm some other options.

• Designing with love! On the weekends I am working on the new envelopes. Each new envelope can take up to a day to complete as the artwork goes through 3-4 programs for editing, watercolor effects, color correction, etc.

Etsy Alternative Alert: Find Us on Michaels Makers!

• We've faced our share of challenges on Etsy, so we're branching out! You will soon find our lovingly grown seeds on Michaels Makers – a fantastic competitor to Etsy (YAY!) Although we have our own direct website, around 88% of our business still comes from Etsy. In addition the majority of our sales on this site are pumpkin seeds while Etsy customers purchase a wider variety of our offerings, so we still need to maintain a presence on Etsy, at least for right now.
  

• With significantly lower overhead costs, we're able to offer more competitive prices than our Etsy shop. Plus, if you're a Michaels member, you might even earn points on your seed purchases to use towards all sorts of goodies at Michaels!

Seasonal Closure Reminder

Like last year, I will have the site closed for the month of November. Since I mainly work alone, I will need to temporarily pause orders for the month as I update the website, audit inventory, and count thousands of bags of seeds in preparation for the busy season. If things aren't ready, it's very easy to fall behind quickly. I always aim to get orders out in a timely manner. I currently quote a 3-5 business day processing time, but I do still work over the weekend processing orders to make sure your seeds reach you quickly.

Rewards Program Update: Important Changes Coming

After careful consideration, I've decided to end our rewards program. While I love offering sales, discounts, promo codes, giveaways, freebies, and rewards points, the combination has unfortunately had a negative impact on the seed shop's bottom line. We've run into challenges when customers combine multiple offers, sometimes leading to unintended losses. Rest assured, I'm working on new incentives to reward our loyal customers! You have until October 31st to redeem existing rewards points, and stay tuned for exciting new ways to benefit from your patronage.

I'm looking forward to potentially having extra help soon. That means more social media activity, more frequent website updates, and super-efficient shop operations.

Thank you again for your patience, and for letting us be part of your garden!

A Heartfelt Thank You!

Your support means the world! Everyday I acknowledge how grateful I am for each and every single one of you. Each order fuels growth for the seed shop, and I'm extremely grateful to be part of your garden.

Happy growing! -The Blue Pumpkin Seed Co. Team