TTM Free Store’s Seed Library

TTM FREE STORE’S SEED LIBRARY

Did you know the TTM Free Store has its own seed library that the community is encouraged to take from and contribute to?  It’s an incredibly beneficial and valuable asset to our yardening community. We all eat fruits and vegetables and grow flowers for the pollinators, so why not save the seeds and use them in your own garden or bring some to the seed library for your fellow neighbors? All you need to do is learn how to properly package the seeds and bring them to the TTM Free Store where there is a designated spot for our seed library.

SEED SAVING 101

In order to properly store your seeds, there are a few things you must do to ensure their overall quality. If you are saving seeds from your own plants, spread them on newspaper and let them air dry for a week. Once dry, they should be packaged in a way to protect them from too much heat, light and moisture so you want to keep them dry and cool. If you only want to collect a few seeds, you can use paper envelopes to store them, a sheet of paper folded into a packet and taped, tea bag wrappers, or anything else you have lying around the house as long as it will protect the seeds. However, avoid using plastic sandwich bags because they can tear easily. Writing down what the seeds are and if they are recycled or leftover from a commercial seed package on the envelope is appreciated! If you choose to package a lot of seeds, you can find certain containers, paper coin envelopes or small, clear plastic zip bags from craft stores that will hold up a lot better.

If you want to store your seeds for long term, keep the seeds dry and wrap two tablespoons of powdered milk in four layers of tissues and put them inside the storage container with the seed packets. You can also use silica gel, but be sure to replace it every six months. The refrigerator is usually the best place to store these seeds. Once you are ready to plant them, remove from the refrigerator and keep them sealed until the seeds return to room temperature to avoid the seeds from clumping together.

PARTICIPATE!

Now that you know how to properly store those seeds, plant them in your own garden or bring them down to the TTM Free Store and add them to our seed library so your fellow community members can do the same!  

-Brandi