OK, Folia, in just the short month I have been a member, you’ve awakened the organizer in me—the same one that has all our books cataloged in Library of Congress order—and encouraged me to be, well, more methodical about my Stash. (Caveat: don’t you dare look in my sock drawer!) How was I to know I have three packages of Catnip that had never been opened? (Cats: Proof that I do think of you each year, but obviously not enough!)
Voila! I present to you my new vegetable and edible plants seed filing system!
I purchased stackable plastic file bins and two boxes of expandable hanging folders at an office supply. I know I’ve heard it’s best to let seeds ‘breath’ but I’ve lost some to dampness and mice in the past. Being a botanist, I decided to organize my seeds by families, then by genus. I chose a different color for each family and printed my own tags on an inkjet printer. That’s just how nerdy I am.
Previously I had the vegetable seeds in manila file folders alphabetical by common name in a box that the collection quickly outgrew. This is because we started saving copious amounts of our own seeds and also because we grow a large variety of things having five acres on which to play. One thing I like about using the hanging files instead of the file folders is I can move the tabs around as I add new species, which makes it tidy.
But Folia has also made me come to terms with my Stashoholic tendencies: if I were a chipmunk my jowls would be about to burst!
Seeds are hidden in closets, drawers, flower pots, coat pockets (can laundering be considered a seed scarification process?), even plastic name badge holders for something that caught my eye in the convention center parking lot. There are dozens upon dozens of envelopes of seeds collected as mementos from various trips, some marked, some to remain a mystery. There are the impulse purchases based on the garden in my head (this must be why I have seven varieties of Hollyhock—every time I go to Santa Fe, I think ‘how romantic!’ but it’s yet to be determined if they will grow here). And what about those nifty exotic things like Asian Winged Beans that are very cool but who knows how to eat them since the fine print says toxic unless eaten young…um, how young is young?
Flower and native plant seeds are in the territory ahead for cataloging and organizing. I can already see I will need to make another trip to the office supply…this is going to be a long process. But the question is…will I ever get them all planted before they, or I expire? All those little potential lives, dependent on my action…
Come clean: are there other Stashoholics out there???
1. My new seed filing system
2. Commercial flower seeds still to be entered and organized
3. The sort-of-unknown native plant seeds
4. Your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine seeds
? This question is currently listed as unanswered. If you think you may be able to help with this question, leave flowerweaver a possible answer below.
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Comments
Plantaholic wrote:
Too funny Flowerweaver!! I too have to admit that I am a stashaholic. I have an organizer designed to slide under the bed – that is crammed full of seeds sorted alphabetically. 99% of what’s in there are flowers only – and I have no more room to add this year’s seed to it. I’m going to have to buy another one and add on to the current box. I now have started to take an interest in veggies and have to find a storage system for them…right now they are all residing in paper bags :(. I love your organization of your seeds and wish I had the same sort of set up!!
Posted on 29 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
redloon wrote:
I have the feeling that I’m really going to enjoy following your folia journal, Flowerweaver! :)
I’m kind of the opposite of a stash-a-holic (except with books). I have a fairly small vegetable garden plot to work with at the moment, and I really enjoy trying new varieties. So every fall I go through my seeds and toss the vast majority of my leftovers. Fortunately I’ve managed to be quite disciplined with seed buying. I love-love-LOVE seed shopping every winter, and I almost always achieve my goal of planting at least some seeds from every packet that I purchase each year.
Posted on 29 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
graibeard wrote:
Magnifique! although I thought the first photo was the after and the second shot was the before :P
This looks good, and I’m thinking if the hangers could be shortened then bags of silica gel could go underneath the whole lot. Very nice solution.
The cats would forgive you, they can’t pay attention for more than 30 seconds so remembering 3 years is, well – not their job, besides there are shiny things to attend to!
Last photo – Nasturtiums or White Cedar – Melia azedarach?
Posted on 30 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
kelly wrote:
That is AMAZING. Your are the organized stash queen. My system involves 4 plastic containers (herbs, ornamentals, veggies, tomatoes) that the seeds get divvied up in. If I need something I know the container, then I have to hunt.
But I am definitely a stashaholic, and proud of it! Of course, I do have a private seed bank so that’s sort of my “excuse” ;).
Posted on 30 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
HazelJ wrote:
I love your system!!! (My paperbacks are ordered alphabetically by author so I can relate!)
My current seed organization system is housed in a shoebox sized-plastic box. Inside the box I made cardstock dividers to sort seeds by whether they are vegetables, herbs, annuals, biennials or perennials. Within each section, seeds are sorted alphabetially.
However I’m thinking of switching it up: each year I go through my plant propagation books to figure out which seeds need chilling, how early to plant them, etc. So I’m thinking that I might switch to catogorizing by starting type (chill for 6 weeks, start 4 weeks before last frost, etc.) to facilitate the seed starting process. I’m also going to need to add another box to accomodate the huge seed order I just made.
Posted on 30 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
ves wrote:
I was thinking silica gel too…is there room to tape net bags of it into the lid?
That looks like a better system than mine — I have two old floppy disk cases full of old seeds — I keep meaning to do some germination tests and toss out the ones that reputedly have short life spans anyway…
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
angelchrome wrote:
This is genius. I’ve been working on my stash, but it’s not nearly so well organized as this! I found some Impatiens balfourii seeds that are in pitiful shape because I haven’t been taking care of this and vowed never again!
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
SneIrish wrote:
Good for you! I am so impressed. And yes, I am also a seed saver, swapper and stashaholic. Many of my Folia friends can attest that I try hard to make sure they go to good homes, but somehow despite my attempts to downsize, my stash continues to grow! In the two years that I have been saving and swapping seeds, I have graduated through 6 different organizing systems. Currently I just have everything alphabetized by scientific name in one big box – the easiest for me to find things. I tend to over-organize and then I have to remember how and by what category I filed things – I can never remember. Separate envelopes with seed packets for those of the same genus I have multiples of, and four catch-all manila envelopes for the singles. So far this is working best for me, right now that is… And I do use small packets of silica gel inside the box.
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
HazelJ wrote:
I’ve been throwing the silica packages from vitamins and shoeboxes in with my seeds. As for photo #4 I think they could be corriander (cilantro) seeds.
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
flowerweaver wrote:
Plantaholic, I think we are two peas in the same pod!
Redloon, if you are a stashoholic of books, have you tried BookCAT software? I decided ten years ago to catalog my books after a flood in my previous home destroyed part of the collection and I had no idea what was lost so I got zip from the insurance. But perhaps there is already something like Folia for books…
Graibeard, I’m begining to think those seeds are Coriander. OK, I just braved tasting one and the are coriander. Duh. I have no idea when I collected them, so if they don’t sprout they will go into the spice rack!
Kelly, I too, feel like I’m saving the world, one seed at a time with my personal seed bank!
HazelJ, I thought about organizing them by starting type, or even starting date, but the beauty of this system is I can easily rearrange it next year if this way doesn’t work for me. My old system did not have the flexibility.
Ves, that’s a great idea, think I will tape some silica gel packets to the lid. There’s not much room in the bottom of these, but I’m sure some are made that do.
angelchrome, I’ve needed to do this seed organization for a while. It feels good!
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
flowerweaver wrote:
SnelIrish, a good system is one that works for you! That’s wonderful that you’ve refined your system so many times. I’ve noticed if a system is too complex or inconvenient I won’t use it. One of my goals this year is to look at every system in my life that isn’t ‘working’ and find a solution. So I’m off to a good start!
If any of you avidly cook (which I assume you do since you are gardening!) and have trouble organizing your spices, take a look at my recent solution:
http://flowerweaver.blogspot.com/2010/01/sunday-stills-food.html
HazelJ, you are most correct—it is Cilantro/Coriander!
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
Motherhen wrote:
Brilliant! So neat and tidy :)
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
SassyGardenGirl wrote:
Awesome! I’m just starting my stash (with no organization scheme), and I like your method. I’m a librarian, so you should get an extra “thumbs-up” for mentioning the LOC. :-D
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
flowerweaver wrote:
@SassyGardenGirl in a former life I was a music and rare books cataloger, and then later the librarian for a national botanical slide and book collection. If I could only use the LOC for my sock drawer, etc. I’d be a much more organized person in the rest of my life!
Posted on 31 Jan 10 (over 3 years ago)
ves wrote:
I can recommend www.bookcrossing.com as a site somewhat similar to Folia. Some people do use it just as a library site, but the purpose is to help you share books when they leave your home—you set a book “free in the wild” with an ID code, and hope that as it travels the the world, the people who find it and read it will log on and tell you where it has traveled. Then there is www.ravelry.com for knitters and crocheters.
I also use the magnetic spice containers for spices and love them. Except sometimes they fall off into the little space between the counter and frig, and I need to take a piece of sandpaper to mine to make them easier to open. I only have a half dozen so far but will be adding to them. I was going to use a label maker to put their names right across their lids, but I like your idea better.
Posted on 01 Feb 10 (over 3 years ago)
LScully02 wrote:
ohhh this might solve my stash dilemma.. everything is in a big open flat rate box and in different bags in that box :D
thanks for sharing your stashoholic-ness with us!
Posted on 03 Feb 10 (over 3 years ago)
Sue_McMuffin09 wrote:
Oh I think I am going to enjoy reading about your adventures here.. I like the idea of the storage box, I am a somewhat closet stashaholic… In a former life I was a Admin Assistant so can relate to the seed filing system.. you have a great system..
Posted on 05 Feb 10 (over 3 years ago)
brambleoak wrote:
Great system! Being a stash-a-holic… I need to create a similar system. All of my seeds are in boxes in a big tote. Not fun trying to find what I need….
Posted on 12 Feb 11 (over 2 years ago)
redcrystal wrote:
This is so neat and pretty.. Makes me think I need more seeds :D
Posted on 17 May 11 (about 2 years ago)
flowerweaver wrote:
@brambleoak Thanks. The system has really helped.
@redcrystal Of course you do! I hate to admit, but my stash is not filling TWO of these boxes!
Posted on 17 May 11 (about 2 years ago)
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