I left the seed swap this past weekend with several packets in my pocket.
My friend Jim seemed reluctant to let go of the packages. "It's cool at your house, isn't it?" he asked.
"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked. "I do have a teen-aged daughter, so sometimes things get a bit testy, but really, she's a great kid."
But Jim wouldn't let it be. "You're in a dark place, right?"
"Jim, you've got to quit reading those self-help books. Everything's fine."
He asked where I planned to store the seeds. Happy that he'd changed the subject, I told him they'd have a nice home on top of the fridge.
"Oh, no! Just what I was afraid of!" he complained. And then he explained.
In general, the conditions you need to store seeds is the exact opposite of the conditions needed to germinate them. Seeds need heat, moisture and light to germinate. To store seeds, keep them cool, dry and dark. None of these conditions obtain on top of a fridge.
The Colorado State Extension recommends that seeds be stored at about 40 degrees. That is about the recommended temperature of a root cellar. A root cellar wouldn't be a bad place to store seeds. When the potatoes begin to sprout, it's about time to plant early crops.
Jim reminded me that many seeds actually won't germinate unless they have an extended period of chill. That period of chill is called cold-stratification. It's a survival strategy some plants adopt so their seeds don't germinate in the fall, only to freeze when winter comes. Some plants hedge their bets, producing both seeds that need stratification, and those that don't.
If you need to cold-stratify seeds, it will usually say so on the package. When I first encountered that requirement, I simply stored those seeds in the deep freezer. This is not the recommended method, but it worked. Apparently, the fridge is a better option.
You can also "cold stratify" seeds by planting them. This method doesn't work well for me because it requires that I remember what I planted where, and what the seedlings look like.
Nevada's dry climate is a bit of an advantage when it comes to seed storage. In general, the drier seeds are, the longer they store. The Colorado State Extension mentions that some seeds, such as corn, peas and beans, can become too dry to germinate well. I suspect that's why my mother used to soak those seeds overnight before planting them.
The "dark" aspect of the trio of conditions needed for seed storage is perhaps the least important. Some of the sources I consulted, including the Colorado State Extension, didn't even mention it. Most cool, dry places will be dark as well.
It is currently possible to buy containers of "survival seeds" to keep on hand in case of the apocalypse. They are supposed to be packaged to keep for an indeterminable time. You can just store them in your closet with the extra ammo until the zombies invade or the poles switch.
Although the seeds in those kits are open-pollinated so that you can save seeds from the plants they grow, I don't recommend them. For one thing, the varieties chosen may not be best for our area. For another, many seeds have a short shelf life.
Some, like onion and parsley, should actually be used the next year. Most vegetable seeds can be saved over for three or four years before germination rates go down. If you do have seeds you're not sure of, you can always test the germination rate by putting a few seeds in a damp paper towel in a warm place to see how many sprout.
Or you can just plant them, and hope for the best. Maybe your memory will be better than mine, and you'll remember what you planted where, and what it looks like when it comes up.
When Teresa Howell is not chillin', she teaches English at Great Basin College.
She is also allowed to volunteer at the Winnemucca Community Garden, as long as she asks before she pulls up any "weeds" that might turn out to be someone's radishes.
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