The Best Seed Storage Containers

When I started getting into gardening several years ago I did not plan on growing many plants from seeds. Now that I enjoy starting plants from seeds more than ever, I have acquired a collection of seeds. Today I want to tell you some great seed storage containers to give you some ideas on how to keep your seeds fresh until you use them.

If you want to save money while gardening, I highly suggest starting your plants from seeds. I know this can be challenging, but the satisfaction you will get when you grow a huge plant from a tiny seed is priceless!

Of course, some plants are harder to grow from seed than others, or may not be available, which is complete understandable. If you are not sure what plants to start as seed, here is my list of flowers to begin as seeds.

I started growing zinnias a few years back from seed, and fell in love with these colorful flowers! They are easy to grow and one seed can produce many flowers in a season!

The past year, I have added several varieties to see which ones I enjoy the most. Right now I have packets of various zinnia seeds. I’m also collecting varieties of sunflower seeds, among others.

As my seed collection grows, I wanted a place to easily store all of them. Below are some seed storage ideas. See which one you want to try with your seed collection!

Here is a short and sweet list of seed storage containers you can use:

• Storage box for seeds
• Binder
• Plastic protectors for collector cards
• Recipe box
• Bead containers
• Photo storage box
• Mini fridge

You can read more about each of these seed storage containers below. Pick which one will work best for you to enjoy your seeds for as long as possible.

Seed Storage Box

You can always store your seeds in a classic seed storage box. This seed box has a classic image on the lid that easily slides off and on. It also comes with dividers to organize your seeds by type.

I love how small it is so that you can tuck it away in the corner of a closet or other small space in your home where it won’t get in the way.

3 Ring Binder

One way to store seeds is to place the packets in clear pockets in a three-ring binder. I ended up doing this, since this was the easiest way to store the seeds in a small space, at least for me. I can take the binder off the shelf and flip through the clear protectors to pick which seeds I want to plant.

I ended up getting a beautiful floral binder, with the card protectors separately. I had to return the first set of clear pockets with 9 pockets on each page, since they were too small for most of my seed packets. A set of clear pockets with 4 on each page is a great size for most seed packets, like the ones above.

I ended up getting a set with 4 on each page and most of my seed packets fit nicely in them! The binder I ended up buying had pockets on the inside, where I store my seeds in plastic bags and larger packets of seeds. I love being able to store all my seeds in one place!

Recipe Box

Another popular way to store seeds is by placing them in a recipe box. Many are made so that the seed packets fit well in the box. This is an easy way to store and flip through the packets to pick the ones you want to sow easily.

Flower seeds will be a perfect match for the floral recipe box above! You can also cover up the word “recipe” with “seeds” to customize it for you. Get creative with it! These also make great gifts for your fellow garden lovers.

Bead Container

Bead containers are a great way to store seeds too, especially if you don’t want to keep them in their original envelope. There are sets that come with a large box, where smaller bead containers can be stored, like the one above. Just label the outside of each container so you know what kind of seeds are in there!

Photo Cases

Photo cases are another place to store all your garden seeds. Get plenty of these storage cases so that you can organize your flower, fruit, herb, and vegetable seeds in their own plastic boxes. Or, if you’re like me and have varieties of the same kind of seed, place them in their own container.

For example, keep all your carrot seeds in one small storage case. Or, if you love growing flowers like me, place all your varieties of cosmos flowers in one case, and so on.

Use a sharpie to label each box, or print out images of each plant and tape on each container to easily identify where each type of seed is located.

Where to Store the Seeds

After you decide where to keep your seeds, you want to place them in a cool, dry area so that they are preserved well until you are ready to use them. Don’t place them in a storage container or shed outside, where it can get too hot, cold or damp.

The seeds will not last long. I made this mistake with some packets a few years back, and some started to germinate in their envelopes because they got wet from the rain! You also want to keep your seeds out of direct sunlight as well.

I’ve ended up placing some varieties of seeds in plastic baggies because their original packets became wet. I just tape the paper envelope to the front of the baggie, so that I know what kind of seeds are in there.

You can also purchase envelopes similar to the ones your seeds originally came in. Here is an example:

These envelopes are great because you can customize them any way you want. Write neatly in a permanent marker what kind of seeds are in each envelope, or draw pictures of each plant. If you still have the original envelopes the seeds came in, cut and glue the front and back so that you still have all the information you need on how to sow each kind of seed.

How Long Do Seeds Last?

While seeds have an expiration date, most can be used way past that date, even years after. While the best time to plant seeds is before this date, you still have plenty of time to use them if you didn’t have time or room to plant them this year.

If you are worried that older seeds won’t grow, just plant extra ones to make up for the difference. There are some seeds that are known to last shorter than others. These include carrots, leeks, and onions.

Other Seed Storage Containers Ideas

While storing seeds in a refrigerator is a great idea due to the cool temperatures, this is not ideal for most people, since their fridge is already filled with foods and drinks. If you want to invest in a cooler storage space for your seeds, check out these neat mini fridges that come in several colors!

A mini fridge can fit under a desk, in a closet, next to the bed, or other small area in your home.

There are plenty of other ways to store your beloved garden seeds to make them last to use next season and beyond. Below are other ways to store your garden seeds:

• Mailing envelopes
• Jars
• Plastic bags

Seed Storage Containers

These are just a few seed storage containers you can use with your own seed collection. How do you store your garden seeds? Let me know in the comments section below!