Page 1 of 1

Long term storage

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:20 am
by ThePaleHorseman
Hello,

I tried to find the answer via google but nothing blatant popped out. I store the majority of my heirloom seeds in vacuum sealed bags placed in the freezer. I am getting a bunch of VFT seeds but I don't want to plant them all just yet. Is my current seed storage process a good idea for these type of plants?

Thank You.

Re: Long term storage

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:22 am
by Mawy_Plants
Not sure if freezing them would be harmful or not, though I’ve only seen info to longterm store using the refrigerator method. I just store my seed packets in a container or sandwich baggie in the back of the fridge. Make sure they stay dry!

Re: Long term storage

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 12:39 pm
by Shadowtski
I have not stored FlyTrap seeds for long periods, but I have stored Drosera seeds in my refrigerator for long periods.

They germinated after 17 years of storage.

I let the seeds dry out after harvest for about 2 weeks.
Then I put them in paper seed envelopes.
I keep the seed envelopes in a plastic ziploc bag in my fridge.

Re: Long term storage

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:53 pm
by ThePaleHorseman
Thank you both,

it seems the fridge method keeps them at the proper temp to hinder germination. I just will be getting a lot of seeds and rather preserve the extra for a bit instead of hastily planting them all and losing a couple since its my first time dealing with with VFTs

Re: Long term storage

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 7:34 pm
by thefic
I had some VFT seeds stored in the fridge for a little over a year. Only had 3 or so out of 25ish actually germinate. I think the VFT seeds have a very short shelf life. I put some in the fridge in January and I am gonna wait until next summer to plant and see if it was just a 1 time low germination rate or if they really just don't last that long.

Sundew seeds seem to last forever.

Re: Long term storage

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:03 pm
by Artchic528
Wouldn't freezing the seed actually destroy it's viability?

Re: Long term storage

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:14 pm
by schmeg
One 2018 Seed Bank "Maroon Monster" x OP flytrap seed has germinated in 2020, after at least 1-1/2 years in a refrigerator. (Don't know if they were refrigerated during their time at the Seed Bank, or even how old they were to begin with).

I had only three seeds of this type -- others in the package got munched in the mail. For some reason I didn't plant them right away, and put their envelope in the fridge in a baggie with one of those little silica moisture-remover pods.

Those three seeds have been planted for many weeks now -- five? seven? -- and I just noticed one little green VFT sprout with its seed cap still on. Maybe the other two will hatch out also. With only one of three seeds reporting, statistically it's nothing useful, but I just wanted to report that technically it is still possible to germinate flytraps after two seasons of refrigeration.

But the real moral of the story is: don't wait! I wish I had two-year-old plants instead of seeds.