I’ve used it for lots of different things. It’s a good thing to keep around.
For seeds I just sprinkle it in and shake to mix it real good and then if there’s something like a weevil in one it won’t eat through all the rest of the good seed.
I don’t do it for all my seeds, just anything I feel like might be a problem, especially seed I’ve collected outside my garden.
I have some wild hibiscus seed I collected recently that I noticed a few of the pods had signs of possible bug damage so I powdered those seeds really well before storing them.
Does it work better than freezeing seeds to kill any weevils (Of course bringing to room temperature without opening the container afterwards)?
Does it damage the seeds in any way (The thinking the tiny crystals pierce bugs but not seeds)? Maybe this is why you use it with larger seeds that have a tougher skin?
I don’t usually freeze my seeds so can’t say if it is better or worse but one benefit is it would still kill anything that did survive freezing.
I don’t think it would cause damage to any seeds. Probably not any worse than the seeds rubbing against themselves and also any dirt or other plant material that might be with them already.
In my experience, as long as they’re not experiencing frequent or severe temperature swings, seeds can be viable for quite a while. I’m admittedly not as good about keeping most of my seeds in “perfect” conditions, but generally my collection stays in my basement, which runs around 65*, dark (in the storage space), and dry. But I also keep my working box (seeds I’m planning to use at least some of during that year) upstairs during the growing season, and I still don’t have much trouble with viability/germination except with the ones that are touchy about it anyway.
I wonder how much more seeds last longer when stored in metal boxes (Since they naturally keep cooler in the dark)?
Your basement sounds cool, dark & dry (Altho generally basements tends to be a bit less dry).
If it works for you, that’s good.
Which ones are touchy about viability/germination? Onion seeds or some other seeds?
My basement is almost wholly finished as living space, and it’s pretty dry most of the time. We also have a dehumidifier for when it’s rained a lot and the sump pump in the mechanical room is working overtime.
As for touchy, for me it’s alliums, parsnips, lettuce. Brassicas and tomatoes, on the other hand, have lasted a LONG time. I’ve got some extra dwarf pak choy I got from Baker Creek back in 2009/10-ish? and some of the last of the original seed was still viable this spring. Those ones have been stored in a plastic baggie and never frozen/chilled or treated specially in any way.
Wow! Many seeds seem to last longer than we give them credit for.
I wonder why Alliums have such short viability? I’ve never heard it for Parsnips & Lettuce seeds, this is new to me, I wonder why they also don’t have long viability periods.