For the longest time, I stored all of my seeds in a clay pot that I would shove in the back of my cupboard. It did the trick of keeping them dry, together, and away from my destructive two-year-old.
While effective, any time I went to look for seeds it would take me ages to sort through the pot. I wasn’t able to create any sort of organization system. In fact, the more seeds I started collecting the less operational this method was. Seeds would be packed in every crack and crevasse to the point I would rip seeds packets trying to gently tease them out.
This year, my plan is to not only grow all of my garden from seed, but also to sell plant starts. My little, clay pot storage system may have worked with the minuscule amount of seeds I had, but I was looking at quadrupling what I would need. Two hundred dollars’ worth of seeds later, I knew I needed a new system.
What is a good storage system for seeds?
My goal was to look for easy storage as well a way I could easily divide my seeds into different class systems. This would make it easier to find what I need but would also help me keep track each year went I went to reorder.
Even with my seed shopping spree, I didn’t have enough seeds to warrant a full shelving system. Coincidently, I also don’t have the space to keep a full shelving system. So, it was time to do some research to look at practical ways that I could get my seeds organized.
The one method I saw repeatedly that was both convenient and cost-effective was storing seeds in a photo album or a binder. Not only would this easily fit into my budget, but I would be able to store my seeds on a bookshelf where they took up very little room.
There were several different ways I could do this. I saw many people buy multiple, small photo albums from the dollar store and do their herbs, flowers, and edible plants in different albums. This seemed like a great idea… for people don’t have toddlers constantly getting into everything.
The other way was to invest in a larger photo album that would enable me to keep all of my seeds in one place but divide it into as many sections as I needed.
Buying a photo album
Needless to say, I went with the large photo album. This one has one hundred and twenty pages and capacity for six hundred photos which means I am in no danger of ever running out of storage. It runs both vertically and horizontally which makes it easier to store different seed packets.
It’s big enough to where I don’t have to worry about my toddler stealing it and hiding it from me. It also meshes well with our décor; it doesn’t look cheap or out of place.
In order to keep organized, I divided my seeds into sections. I have my cool weather crops in one spot and my summer crops in another. This is further divided by variety. I have full pages dedicated to tomatoes, squash, lettuce, and cucumbers. My herbs and flowers can be found in the back as I don’t typically find myself needing continuous access to them.
There is one notable disadvantage to this system. If you are buying bulkier seeds, it is harder to keep your photo album shut. Seeds from both peas and beans don’t easily fit if the packets hold more than ten. I avoid putting my seed album in any tight spaces to lessen the chance of inadvertently damaging the seeds by crushing them.
Cheap, easy, and simple
Storing your seeds in a photo album is an accessible system for anyone and everyone. If you would like to display your collection, you are able to invest in a nicer photo album. if you are looking at a way to cut expenses, you can find one for as cheap as $1. Not only does this help me keep my collection organized but it enables me to stay on budget and be able to expand in the future.
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