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Found old seeds: "GD London 1972"?

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R

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Edit, February 13th 2014: When I originally started this thread, the plan was to grow out whatever I could and have it flower naturally in the fall of 2013. Because of some issues I had with the greenhouse, that never happened. I started the rest of the seeds in February '14, which is page 27 of the thread. I think the whole thread is worth reading in it's entirety as the first seed did give a wonderful female sativa plant with some very cool wild characteristics, but if you are looking for flowering pictures, dont expect them until August of 2014 when the new plant should start flowering naturally in the greenhouse. Thanks for stopping by! -BR


Hey everyone

New member here. Hope this is the right spot to put this, but I have a pressing question:

My grandfather passed away this weekend, and while going through his attic I found something I consider a great treasure. In a chest I found a small baggie with six cannabis seeds and an old note. The note reads:

"GD London 1972"

Any idea what this means? I put this thread here because as soon as I get home I plan on germinating some of them and seeing what they come out as. It will be my first grow but luckily I am in a place where I think I can finally grow something out fully, so I have invested in equipment and some 'insurance' beans to make sure I get something. I'll post pics and maybe start a proper grow diary as soon as I get home after the big meal. Cheers everyone. Bear
 
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R

recent guest

Wow how could I have missed that. I feel... simple.

ooo maybe I have a chemdawg thing going on! haha
 
hello,sorry about your loss,as for the seeds you need to find read about how to get old seeds to pop unless you know already !!!! 1 is to put some or all in matchbox with sandpaper in it. then carry in pocket for a day or so then try them.there's other ways good luck to you. have a buzzed day,i know i will !! peace and God bless you and yours
 
R

recent guest

Thanks Buzzed. That sandpaper method is interesting. Im assuming you'd do that so that moisture will penetrate the [insert scientific name for seed coat] faster to allow the seed to germinate? It sounds similar to what I do for wisteria seeds. With those you either have to nick them with a sharp knife or razor and then soak them overnight, or like you said, buff them a bit with sandpaper. Do you think the same effect could be achieved by just lightly sanding by hand? These are too valuable to me to accidentally crush or lose when I forget my pants somewhere.
 

stihgnobevoli

Active member
Veteran
the way i get old seed to germ is by soaking them in water or a wet paper towel till they crack. if the seed is dead all the sandpaper in the world wont bring it back to life. if the seed is viable it will crack.
 
R

recent guest

I read an article a while back about a grower growing old strains from the 60's 70's from old seed. The consensus was that as long as the seeds had been stored under the right conditions (dry and cool usually) they tended to pop with roughly equal germination rates to fresher seeds. I know people have germinated and studied cereal crops found in archeological sites that are sometimes thousands of years old. There is a patch of hopi corn growing in a university garden in CA that is reportedly derived from seeds from a cache that is several hundred years old found in 2006. Also, Im pretty sure I read about somebody germinating cannabis seeds found on the body of a chinese shaman thought to be 7,000 years old. Point is I think under the right conditions a seed can stay good for a while.
 

feralct

New member
I've heard about the shaman, but I didn't think anyone tried germing the seeds. I've germed fifteen year old seeds before, with good results. I'd think the inside of a seed would dry up over time unless it was frozen.
 
R

recent guest

This may be true although I think moisture would be a bigger threat. A moist seed will either germ or rot. Now pollen is a different story altogether.
 

TGT

Tom 'Green' Thumb
Veteran
Where we're they found and how we're they stored? It would be amazing to get some to sprout, but if they were not kept cool and dry they prob won't sprout, but who knows, it's worth a try! Nice find.

TGT
 

stihgnobevoli

Active member
Veteran
What kind of old seeds have you germinated? Did you get very good results?
not as old as yours, but i tried to germ 20 old seeds from 1994. i threw 10 in water, none ever germed, just turned black after they soaked up some water. dead seeds. the next 10 i tried to do it "the old pipe way ;)" and threw em straight into dirt. 1 popped up, a slow male but huge, real pure sativa. forgive me for posting pics in your thread. i kept it in the pot i germed it in after it showed sex so i was just gonna take the pollen and scrap it. i still have like 100 or so seeds give or take a few i'm gonna run through em real soon same old method of soaking in paper towel or just plain water. i find if they don't crack a few days after sitting in warm water then they most likely won't ever crack. especially if they turn black and they weren't that dark before you put em in.

 

highonmt

Active member
Veteran
What the heck give em a try your grandpa would be stoked if he was a head. I sprouted some seeds from the late 80's last year. They had been stored in a film can in a number of dressers over the years. I got 50 plus percent to sprout using a Dutch growns black cd case technique. Wet paper towel with tap water and fold seeds in towel, put em in the case and put case in a little humidity dome. Shined a desk lamp on the dome so a thermometer next to the case hit 77f. regulate by moving the lamp closer or further. I did lightly scarify(technical term for sanding) the seeds with emery paper before sprouting. Contrary to what the king of african pirates said above it is a well know technique and is used in spouting many tough to sprout seeds. I did go on the gd europe 90 tour but all my gd london 90 seeds are long since sprouted and smoked and passed into fond memory...HM
 
H

hard rain

I wish you the best of luck germinating those. I have tried on a few occasions to germinate old seeds with no luck at all.
 

foomar

Luddite
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Probably not going to sprout after forty years and any that do will struggle to progress , shame there are only six and nothing similar to practice on.

Low Moisture content of the seed is important for germination. Hemp seed containing 9.5 % moisture was mostly dead after 12 years storage at 10 0 C, but lost only 12 % viability when moisture content was 5.7 %


If they were viable in ,72 and have not been frozen and thawed , in the dark and protected from dessication and stand a pinch test you might just get lucky , well worth trying and good luck.


This thread is relevant , 50 ppm GA3 may help but anecdotal so far , and nothing over 20 years has led to a functional plant yet.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=232459
 

Mr_Grimbo

Member
The match box method I have never heard of, but I have heard folks sand a bit of thickness off the point and seam so the seed has to use less energy to crack out...

Mr. Grimbo
 

Cool Moe

Active member
Veteran
Their size could give you a hint as to sativa or indica heritage. It'd be so sweet if someday genetic testing could tell you exactly where it is from. It seems likely that strains in '72 were less poly and more landrace. Hawaiian herb was making itself known as some of the best of the time. Chances are if he saved them it was for a good reason. Wow if you get em to pop it'll be like opening a 40 year old time capsule. A trick I heard for old seeds is if they weren't in the freezer then freeze them for a few hours before bringing them back to room temp then to the paper towel method at a perfect 78. Good luck man!
 
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