A method I've used for years has enabled me to have viable seeds from storage times in excess of 12 years, and in certain instances of seed from high altitude plants ( alpine plants) often gave enhanced results over fresh seed.
Preparation:
Dried Seeds were stored in stamp collectors envelopes, each envelope clearly labeled with permanent marker. The envelopes were subsequently placed in "Tuppaware" type plastic containers and completely covered in pink silica gel crystals to the full depth of the container ( they get pink after drying them in an oven for an hour or so). The lids of the Tuppaware containers were additionally sealed at the joint via a thick application of vaseline to further prevent penetration of moist air. An easy to access list of contents was attached to the outside lid of the container. including all relevant data.
Emphasis is on filling the container to the brim with regenerated silica gel.
Storage:
For very small banks, a mini fridge like the types found in Hotel rooms may be more suitable than a fully sized domestic fridge. Mine was set to 2-3° Celsius and left undisturbed in the cellar.
While my experience dealt mainly with alpine plants, that are often subject to prolonged periods of forced dormancy in the wild. I could speculate that the silica gel method would work well for the folowing Genera that respond to extreme dry storage:
Fabaceae, Poaceae, Solanacea.
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Topic: Use of regenerated silica-gel for DIY seedbanks. (Read 11570 times)