Making your own packets is a way to

• help out the Seed Bank
• control how much seed each person gets that you donate
• know exactly how much credit you get for your seed

Please make sure your seeds are clean before you packet them. If your seeds are not clean they will not be able to be used unless they are unpacketed, cleaned, and repacketed. Please see the instructions on cleaning seeds and clean your seeds before packeting.

The Seed Bank will put the packets in paper envelopes and label them. It makes it more difficult for me and increases the chance of errors if the seeds packets aren't done in a uniform manner. You just need to put the seed packets for each species or variety into a separate, labeled envelope and send them to the Seed Bank in a padded mailer.

The Seed Bank uses waxed paper because it breaths, is stiff and easy to fold, and somewhat transparent so the seed can be seen as the packet is folded. You may use regular paper, it is just more difficult to deal with.

To get started fold up one edge about half an inch (12 mm). Put the seeds in the center against the fold.

Now, during this whole process you don't want to rotate the seeds, you want to fold the paper around them. If you rotate the seeds they will move up the paper as you turn them.

This is after one fold. I turned it over to take the picture.

If you are curious, these are Nepenthes seeds. Nepenthes seed are easy. The species of Drosera with very fine seed are the most difficult.

Now we are ready for the last fold in this direction.

Don't sneeze yet. The ends aren't folded.

For the end folds, it is best to fold away from the last edge. So in this case you would fold the ends down. If it ended up in your hand with the last part down, you would fold up.

Here are 2 finished packets. I did over a 100 of these last week and 60 today so I'm getting better at it than I was.

This kind of packet must be in an envelope to stay closed. You can fold your own envelope and put all the packets into it to send into the Seed Bank.