New Grower Storing seeds for a year

[stepside]

I've got seeds from the 70s in a medicine bottle. Been sitting on my bureau for shit the past 10 years. every year I throw a few in the dirt something always comes up

 

[pop22]

I keep most of mine in a cigar box with desicant packs in it. I keep in in a drawer in my bedroom seeds have kept very good germ rates so far some are 3+ years old. I keep my best in the freezer, those that I can't replace.

 

[G.Leave]

One interesting pattern I have come across with older seeds is fresh seeds seem to split the shell incredibly fast(usually 12 hours-18hours). Once the seeds sit for a couple of years I notice that it always seems to take longer to split the shell...for me usually 2 year old seeds take 24+ hours, 3yr old 36-48hour. Anyone else noticed this?

 

[A4]

Self indicating Silica gel is available on ebay 50 x 1g sachets for £2.99

The silica gel will change to blue if any moisture is absorbed and each sachet can absorb a third of its own weight in moisture.

The blue silica contains cobalt chloride and is potentially cancerous. I would recommend the orange to green silica. I made the same mistake when I started using desiccants. I don't know that it is enough to do any damage to the seeds or the grower but I am not willing to take a chance with something that can be easily replaced with an alternative.

 

[pop22]

If you look into it, first, you'd have to injest the dessicant to be exposed to the danger. MSDS info doesn't show this as a compound that outgases, that's why you find them in food even. Remember, they are drawing moister into themselves very similar to a sponge.

The blue silica contains cobalt chloride and is potentially cancerous. I would recommend the orange to green silica. I made the same mistake when I started using desiccants. I don't know that it is enough to do any damage to the seeds or the grower but I am not willing to take a chance with something that can be easily replaced with an alternative.

 

[A4]

If you look into it, first, you'd have to injest the dessicant to be exposed to the danger. MSDS info doesn't show this as a compound that outgases, that's why you find them in food even. Remember, they are drawing moister into themselves very similar to a sponge.

I think the biggest danger with them is the dust before they are used. Silica dust for sure is terrible for your lungs and honestly I don't know if the cobalt rides on the dust. I don't know of anyone that has had any problems but one of the places I purchase organic products from quit carrying that brand and swapped to the orange. When I emailed them and asked why, because I preferred the blue brand myself, that was the reason they gave me and said they didn't believe any problems would arise from using them but they preferred to change to a more healthy alternative. I don't know if they are bad for you or not but I figure, why chance it?

The msds is below for anyone interested.

https://www.sorbentsystems.com/pdf/bluesilicagelmsds.pdf