Holding on to genetics for future use is vital for most growers.While most folks tend to stick to clones, having the ability to backup genetics in case of emergencys can mean the difference from having a viable source of both seed and clones for the future, but also to ensure the survival of the strain.

Too many strains have fallen onto the wayside of clone only status, and with more and more strains becoming clone only,some strains are destined to doom..with no infusion of fresh genetic exchange, clones can eventually wear down over time, and can lose much of their vigor, and all it takes is a few careless mistakes to wipe out a strain in its pure form forever....yowza's!!!




so with this thought in mind, I'll teach you the method older veteran growers and breeders(thanks Rolan!!) have passed on to me to keep seeds viable for a number of years without having to resort to freezing.


the first step you want to do is to get soem Basmati Rice from the grocery store.You'll want Basmati specifically as it has certain dessicant propertys to keep seeds free of moisture/mold.


generally I'll place seeds into a plastic container ,glass or whatever airtight package I can find and use that.

you can use ball point pens too...just remove the inkwell of course!!

you only need about 10 grains or less of rice per seed, but I stock em up usually.You can simply find some sort of container like a coffee can or tupperware, and place them inside that, and simply put them in the back of the refrigerator.this method will seeds viable for a number of years before you get any dropoff in germ rates.I find that all of my seeds that are 2-3 years old still have about 90-100% germ rates, anf I know fresh beans from some seed banks that dont have that much luck.when preeping seeds to use, you simply want to allow them to adjust to room temperatures overnight.




you can also use this method for pollen..you just have to remove ALL of the leafy material to ensure the least amount of moisture...

pollen is your friend..!!when you do have to pop some of your beans, keep a male around for breeding out more beans for the future...you can store pollen for up to a week or 2.

I'll cover that in my next tutorial...


making babies!!

- ICS

the 10 most wanted list...

I luv sativa hybrids..

do not fear the males!!!


Mars needs women!!

nicely done mate! now lets talk about them cherry Thai seeds man PM me...lol

before I got PM's about those beans...they are history.

some lucky med patients have those now, but I always get my males/pollen back for the future to mate up to my females....muhahahahahaha!!!

nice work I would love to make my own strain for my grow units. but where to start? you know any good books to start me out?

That's it, I got to find myself a small refrigerator.

On the subject of pollen. I have kept pollen for much longer then a couple weeks with very little preparation. I just make sure I sift out any green matter, and keep it in a cool, dry dark place, in an airtight container. I've used it as much as 6 months later, and still got seeds. I'd imagine with your method it would be good for years.

while pollen may last longer(I have some over a year old) I only suggest its good for a few weeks so as to not let folks think otherwise in case of spoilage..I'll try to dust some of my Malawi/HG3 pollen on a C-99, and see what happens??

Great information.

Here are some extra thoughts...

Buy a few smaller safes that are watertight and have some fire resistance. Divide up your seed collection into the safes and keep them in different places. Friends houses, if they are willing, or in any cool dry place.

Be creative.


Would a flood, fire, or bust, destroy your entire collection right now?

Are you putting all of those eggs in one basket?

A Handbasket? HeH.

I gotta get moving on my own advice.