Build a seed library by putting each seed lot in its own dry, labelled container with the species and variety, the date collected, the source, whether it is open-pollinated or hybrid, and the date and result of its last germination test. Organise it by planting season, plant family and urgency, and replant a portion every year, because stored seed slowly dies. A seed library is useless if you cannot tell what is in a jar.
Part of Seed & Food Salvage
A seed library is stored genetic information that feeds a community, and it is only useful if every container can be identified and found. Storage conditions are covered in Storage Conditions and Seed Storage.
A Library Is Genetic Information You Can Find Again
The parent article calls it a library of genetic information that feeds your community. Seeds that cannot be identified or found are lost seed. The record on the label is as important as the seed.
What to Put on Each Label
- Species and variety name
- Date collected
- Source: original packet, your own harvest, or trade
- Open-pollinated or hybrid
- Date and result of the last germination test
- Notes on disease resistance, flavour or yield
- Treated or untreated. Add this line yourself. Any treated seed gets a clear mark and is stored away from food.
What You Need
- Containers — the parent article lists sealed glass jars with a desiccant packet as best, and paper envelopes inside a sealed container, or mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, as acceptable.
- A cool, dry, steady place — a root cellar or basement. Avoid attics, garages and vehicles where temperature swings, and avoid kitchens and bathrooms.
- Pen that does not run, a ledger and dry storage.
Method: Label, Sort, Rotate
Step 1: Label as you store Label each container when you fill it. A jar with no label is a risk.
Step 2: Sort Group by planting season (spring, summer, fall), by plant family (this helps with crop rotation), and by urgency, since short-lived seed such as onion should be planted first. See Seed Longevity by Species.
Step 3: Keep a ledger A single list with a line per lot, so you can see the library at a glance.
Step 4: Test and record Run a germination test on each lot and write the result. See The Paper Towel Germination Test.
Step 5: Replant annually The parent article says even in storage seeds slowly die, so plant a portion of your stock each year and save new seed from the harvest. This also adapts varieties to your local conditions over generations.
Step 6: Spread the risk Keep a second copy of the most important lots in a separate place, so one flood, fire or pest does not take everything.
Common Mistakes
- Unlabelled jars — you will not know what, how old, or whether it is safe.
- Storing treated seed beside food — keep it labelled and apart.
- Never rotating — stock ages out.
- One storage place — one loss takes everything.
Keep treated seed and pest-damaged seed out of the food store
Seed that is dyed, coated or labelled treated is poisonous and must be stored in a labelled container away from food and out of reach of children and animals. Discard seed with mould or droppings, and do not eat it.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Saving Seeds From Your Harvest — filling the library from your own plants
- Combine with: Farming Basics — what to plant from it