How long do orchid seed pods last?

[Dave]

Does anyone know how long seed pods are viable for?
Also anyone know what is the best method to store dried seed pods? I'm guessing in the freezer wrapped in a couple ziplock bags or else in a glass jar.

[Orcacr]

Hi Dave
Orchid seed pods come ripe at times from 1 mo to 12 mo and all the times in between if the seed pods are dried and not opened yet, if you know about the time, you really need chart with all the times on it--you can get one on the net--you should cut the pod over a coffee filter and wrap the seeds you collected in the filter and put the seeds in a mason jar--you never store the old pod with the seeds, there is moisture in the pod which you don't want --put the jar in the crisper area of the refrigerator===see members.cox.net/ahicks51/osp with info on seed storage--Norm

[erosemond]

Norm:
I have now read about not storing the pod. I have never stored seeds, but simply opened the pod in an old fashioned sterile box (without the fans etc.) and planted the seeds in ager in flasks--all these things including forceps being inside of the sterile box. I guess that I would still steralize the mason jar and maybe the coffee filter??? and open the pod in a sterile box & insert it in the mason jar when everything's in the sterile box. Anyway thanks again. I've saved your references to URLs for seed storage and if I try storing the seeds. I will research it first.