My personal seed bank

I have always tried to have a generous supply of garden seeds around for planting. I have seen survival food bank seeds around for sale but a lot of them have limited varieties and have seeds that don't necessarily grow in the hot south.

Clemson University's agricultural center is selling heirloom garden seeds that they trace by almost like genealogy, some back 200 years. They have all been used for decades in South Carolina.

I bought several packets (they were all $1-2) and divided them up into two #10 cans. Since they were wrapped in paper envelopes, I put them in ziploc bags and pushed out as much air as I could.

I made a list of what seeds were in what can and copied the heirloom history pages and put them on top.

You don't put oxygen absorbers in these or you will hurt your seeds. The seeds are dormant and still need some air but they are best kept in a cool, dark place until you are ready to use them. Luckily we have the ward's #10 can sealer in the basement so I quickly sealed them. I printed a label for each can and they are now in our basement.