Gardening Question of the Week: Should I Store My Seeds in the Fridge?

A friend of mine saved flower seeds for the first time this year and she asked me if they would keep fresher if she stored them in her refrigerator. The temperature is certainly in the right range for storage. Ideally, seeds should be kept at around 50 degrees F. And it's usually nice and dark in the fridge, which is also good for storage. The only drawback to keeping seed in the refrigerator is the high humidity. This can be solved by storing your seeds in water tight containers and tucking in either a packet of silica or some other wicking agent, like uncooked rice.

The fridge might be a good solution for where to keep your seeds, but use caution before tucking your seed into the freezer. Some seeds can be kept viable for years in a deep freeze, but others will be killed, like tender plants left out in a frost. If the plant doesn't reseed itself in the spring in your area, it probably can't handle the freezer. The USDA has an interesting piece on storing seeds for the long term. If you're main goal is to have seed to plant next year, saving it in a drawer at room temperature will work just fine. Here are some more tips on saving and storing seed.

And if you're wondering about the photo here, this is how forum member Flower Lady has decided to keep her trumpet vine seeds this year. Yes, that's the pod of a trumpet vine with poinsettia leaves and bracts. Isn't it wonderful! She's posted a link to all her Christmas fairies and  blue Santas in the forum.

Collected from- http://gardening.about.com/b/2010/11/17/gardening-question-of-the-week-should-i-store-my-seeds-in-the-fridge.htm