Need Advice Germinating Old Seeds

[FarmerGreen]

Germinating old seeds

Germinating old seeds

I found a very old stash of some seeds from various strains I grew at least 5 years ago, perhaps even as old as 7. I've put them in the soil but nothing seems to be happening.

Whats the longest a seed can be stored?

 

[2Supra4U]

If they are stored properly I believe they have a shelf life of around 5-7 years while still keeping a decent germination rate. I have seen 20-30+ year old seeds germinated as most others prolly have. Can take some luck but if they were packed right they have a much better chance. Your best best would be to use the paper towel method between two plates. Then set it on top of your monitor or a heat pad and make sure it dosent get too hot (80+) that it starts to dry out...and dont flood them with water either or they will not germinate. Just keep the PT's good and moist not soaked. I always open the plates 1 or 2 times a day just in case it is too hot and to get some air/oxygen. But I guess when you check on them its the same thing. If they are gonna crack, this is the best way imo.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I had some seeds that didn't crack with the wet paper towel. I planted several seeds and used a dome to keep the mix from damping off. I managed to get a single sprout of Williams Wonder x Sour D IBL. It took 7 days for the sprout to show and the dome helped keep the soil mix moist and warm. Good luck, hope you get something nice.

 

[FreezerBoy]

How many you got?

I'd try scarification and/or stratification. Both simulate the stress (and thus shell weakening) that winter provides.

Scarification is physically roughing up the seed as though it's been kicked around or passed through the intestines of birds or other animals. You can: scrape the edges of the seed with a knife, place in a matchbox lined with sand paper and shake, gently crack the seed with tweezers, etc.

Stratification simulates being buried all winter. A seed sandwich with moist sponges for bread placed in an opaque container in the fridge for 2-3 months. Too much like paper towels for my taste as paper towels provide no benefit other than death, disease, rot, mold, breakage and starvation but, desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

[nobull56]

A spin on freezerboy is to place you seeds in the bottom of your refer for a week before placing the dry seeds in a match box with a peace of sand paper, shake well then germ your favorite way.

 

[messn'n'gommin']

Incorporating one or more of these into your germination methods may help some.

http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/full/129/1/5
Vernalization

http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/full/128/4/1167
Smoke Induced Germination

http://www.kew.org/science/directory/projects/EM_LightQuality.html
Germination Micro-Site Perception: the Role of Light Quality and Quantity

Good luck!

Namaste, mess

 

[grow2bfree]

Need Advise For Germinating Old Beans

Need Advise For Germinating Old Beans

Hi everyone.
I just about have my new room built. I have some good genetics (SAGE, Blueberry, Sour Diesel, IP/BB and some crosses I made a few years ago. The problem is all my beans are at least 5 yr old.

Anyone have any advise on getting these to pop after such a long time? Any forseeable problems? I really would appreciate your input, because money is tight right now, and I don't want to have to replace my stock, unless I absolutely have to.

Thanks alot.

 

[doodah]

(1) put them in the freezer for a week or two before attempting to germ. this will give the seeds the impression they're coming out of winter and into spring, and will get em going

(2) 'scuff' the seeds gently, with a bit of sandpaper, or scratch the seed casing with the tip of some scissors. some people line a matchbox with sandpaper and then shake the seeds around.

(3) soak in water for 24-48 hrs, until seed cases crack open

(4) put on moist paper towels, cover with more moist paper towels, make it airtight with baggie, put somewhere dark, warm for 24-48 hrs, till little white tails appear.

(5) plant a quarter to half an inch deep in the medium of your choice. keep in dark till the seedlings appear.

of these two (1) and (2) have given good results with old seeds. 3-5 are normal procedure.

5 yrs old isn't that old really. you should get some good viable plants. good luck!

 

[Big Beans]

Sounds like very good advice - and is similar to what I've been doing to get some stubborn beans going. Even if they take 2 weeks don't give up on them some of my seedlings are sprouting in paper towels even though I put them there over a week ago. - Good luck

 

[customelement]

I actually JUST germ'd some random bagseed that was 5-7 yrs old, as well as some Cherry Berry I've had for 7yrs.. They popped for me using the paper towel method just fine. As long as they aren't heavily abused, seeds can last quite a while.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

I store my 'old genetics' in the freezer as someone else has advised.

Once they're removed from the freezer and allowed to 'thaw' for a couple of days I then soak them in a pure humic acid (TeraVita brand specifically) for a couple of days and then I dry them off and dust them with mycorrhizae powder and plant into an organic soil mixture that I make up.

Fool proof.

HTH

CC

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I've worked with heat damaged seeds. They tend to either not crack or barely have enough strength to crack and that's it.

Soak em for 24-48 hours.

(Practice this next step on bagseed. It takes a bit to get used to)
Use tweezers and sqeeze the very end of the seed so that it cracks.
Use a thin flat piece of metal to pry the seed halves apart.

Drop the completely removed embryo into a peat puck, moistened and turned out into the bottom of a plastic cup (7oz Solo cup works a treat)

Cover with plastic wrap so it's sealed completely.

Put it in a 75F area, a few inches from a CFL.

Remove half the plastic wrap as soon as the leaves break the surface and extend themselves. Remove the rest 24hrs later.

Works great

 

[Tonatiuh]

you could also scuff the beans in a match box with a piece of emory board glued inside...just place the beans in and shake for about 60 seconds.this will thin the shell on them makin it easier for them to crack....ive done this with older beans and it worked.
peace-T-

 

[FreezerBoy]

I'd avoid the paper towels here. They have no magical powers of germination. Whatever they'll do in towels they'll do better in soil, plugs, rockwool ... Added bonus, they'll be planted; No handling of tender roots required. The only thing towels bring to the mix is a greater chance of rot, mold, disease and death.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

The only thing towels bring to the mix is a greater chance of rot, mold, disease and death.

Bang on the button FB Paper towels are not conducive to pampering a delicate seed/sprout.


Especially for new growers, that transfer from towel to soil has the greatest margin for error.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Man I am not much on the paper towel thing either. PT can have the shit in them, even the white ones. They are probably the worst truth be known. (shrug)


I scuff the pointy end a bit...just enough to break the seal of the crack.
I have prepared a peat puck, (jiffy preferred but I think pux is puks is pucs...), using aged tap water that has 30ml (2 tbls) H2O2 (3% hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore) per gallon of tap water. Water does not have to be aged...right out of the tap is fine and dandy IF you use the H2O2. The pucks need to be fully saturated, and pour any extra out.

Put the seed in the top of the puck pointy scuffed end down, and just it's ass end barely sticking out.

Put the dome on and let it pop. Don't mess with it. Look no touch. Tell it you love it. Mean it.

I would say be in awe of its transformation...but thatd be way corny.

 

[Anti]

My current grow started with seeds that I'd had lying around for years. I germed more than 50 random seeds and 4 serious AK47 seeds that are AT LEAST 3-4 years old. Here's what I did:

Got paper coffee filters, soaked them in bottled water, squeezed the excess off, and then put the seeds inside with about 1/2" to 1" distance between seeds and then I folded the whole thing over on itself and stuck it in a ziplock bag. Took about 2-3 days but every single one sprouted.

Out of the 39 I planted, 5 didn't break soil.

I've never heard of any "official" germination technique for older seeds, but that's what I did and 72 days later my 3-4 year old AK seed looks like this:

AK47 @ 72 days (41 days since 12/12)​

 

[barnyard]

what germination technique are you currently using?

what germination technique are you currently using?

GA-3

"Gibberellic Acid-3 (GA-3) is a naturally occurring plant growth regulator which may cause a variety of effects including the stimulation of seed germination in some cases"

Check this out:

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/GibberellicAcid.htm

what makes you think your beans are old OwlMirror? Could the issue be your germination technique?

Also, the first step in germination is a largely mechanical process where the seed tissue absorbs water and expands like a sponge. Even non-viable seed will absorb water and pop out a radicle (the first part of a seedling). So showing a picture of a selection of beans with emerged radicles does not confirm seed viability.

Without proper storage, as a general rule, seed lose approx 20% viability per year. Properly stored MJ seed can remain viable for 20 plus years.

Hope that helps.

 

[krk]

old seeds....

old seeds....

I'm trying to germ some real old seeds anybody have any experince with these cracked pods? They seem to of exploded..will they grow?

 

[krk]

If anyone has any knowledge of this I would like to here your experince...thanks krk