Organizing Seeds: Alphabetically or by planting date?

Organizing Seeds: Alphabetically or by planting date?

When we start to save seeds (or if we still buy our seed) and are left with extra, the question ultimately becomes, how do I categorize everything?

For some a shoebox will do, or at the very least a rubber band can hold all your seed packets together. On the larger side of things, the granary and what has become commodity trading, is another way to organize seeds. For the plant breeder, some system of organization will prove tremendously helpful–categorizing by year, plot, and pedigree etc., tools of the trade.

Our tomato-melon collection mostly originated from a traveler in New England. We were travelin’ ourselves north from CT and because the community of Brattleboro (VT) was on our way, I scheduled a serendipitous visit with a member offering a large collection of tomato/melon varieties. I remember we had to meet on a Friday, because Saturday was some sort of religious event. Both the smell of fresh baking bread and the mothball seed bombs he used to keep mice and other critters from eating his seeds are forever burnt into my memory. I still have the original bag and seed packets–some even have seeds in the them after almost 10yrs! I wonder if any will still germinate after this long….

Currently our seed display/collection (up-cycled seed envelopes) has evolved  from being alphabetized and is morphing into a seasonal scheme.

I’m thinking of doing some research into biodynamic scheduling based on lunar cycling. Will I finally read Steiner’s lectures on Agriculture and understand that there is something more than just Ag as I know it?….well…I suspect this is true but the question remains…Does planting by meteorological cycles help to support the attainment of full potential within the plant life form?  

The journey down the rabbit hole continues…

How do you organize your seed collection?

Post a seed selfie ‘seedie’ on FB.