old seeds

[Marijuana Man]

I have about 8 strains that are about 5 years old or older.they have been kept in a dry dark place.what is the best way to germinate.any tips on having better success .MM

 

[Raoul]

I am 100% with paper towel. Put the seeds between some wet, folded paper towels and place in a zip lock with air blown into it. After 2-3 days, check the seeds to see which, if any, haven't germinated yet. For these, I will scrape my fingernail against the seedcoat where it splits and place back in the zip for a day or two. Good luck!

 

[wonka]

i have some older strains i have been waiting to germ and was woundering the same thing.. thanks

 

[logic]

I also asked this not so long ago check out some of the replys here

 

[Wonderon]

I hear its better to store them in the fridge in a dark air tight container (with some rice to absorb the moisture). Although I do have some older seeds 5 yrs or so myself stored away that have never seen the fridge and still pop when I plant them so I guess it depends on the situation. But I do have plans to start storing my seeds in the fridge.

 

[monkey5]

Good read , i have some old seeds i need to grow !!! nice info !!!! THANK YOU !!! MONKEY5

 

[Bean Curd]

Thanks for the link Logic, I've got a couple classics from the turn of the century that I never used cuz I never actually started the most important part of the hobby.

 

[hubcap]

dont know if theres any scientific evidence supporting my claim
BUT

if i try and germ seeds i know are old this is what i do.

1. pinch test em. if they smash.. they no good. time already saved.
good viable seed wont crush when pinched between fingers with moderate pressure.

2. after they pass test one...they go into fridge for a few (2-4) days. my reasoning behind it.......is this; in nature, seed falls off or comes in contact with the ground at the end of the growing season when temps are cooler. in a nutshell i try and simualte and stimulate the process thusly. cooling the seed to simulate winter. dont know if theres factual evidence behind this but it works for me. even for old pure sat seeds that really dont see a true "winter"
moving forward....

3. after the "cooling" step, i take them out and let em come to room temp, then into a cup of rainwater/tap/fiji bottled water, they go. after a day of soak they go into a papertowel and on to step 4.

4. placing seeds about 4 inches apart in the paper towel (moistened but not SOAKED) i gently fold em over covering them and slide the moistened papertowels with seed in a plastic baggie and set on a gas stove or a cablebox, or a heat pad made for germinating if youre a "moneybags." this adds a lil bit of warmth which, i find, seems to help out older seed a bit. look around. im certain you all have something electrical that constantly makes a lil warmth. cable boxes and gamers playstations come to mind.

5. older seed can be slow going so be patient. some can take 7 days or more to pop.


6. with older seeds, i generally wait til a good amt of "tail" is exposed from the seed "husk"
i seem to have better luck when theres a lil bit more of that initial tap root showing than popping it into dirt when the shell is just cracking open...

if you place the germed seed into soil its imperative that the soil mix is loose airy and fresh (not reused). its just makes for an all around better enviorn for your newly hatched lil one.
theyll grow pretty much in any soil, but, the early stages, imo, are critical for how things will progress with it in the future. a good healthy start is KEY with older seed.

also....
alot depends on how they were stored over the "long haul"
if a "cool dark place" means a box on your dresser for a long period of time exposed to temp fluctuations, they might be a bit harder to pop.



storing seeds over the long haul is best done in the fridge.
be certain the stock is TOTALLY dry (silica gel packets) and seeds will survive right next to your produce for years.
ive done it.


good luck. hope this helps someone out there........
i know we got alot of the "well versed" crowd here.
maybe theyll stop in and offer some input as well.

but these methods have worked for me.

 

[t.o.med]

good thread thanks for the info.

 

[Guano]

Recently tried to germ a 5 year old Yumbolt seed,no luck at all.

 

[Marijuana Man]

Thanks everyone for the input. I was hoping that I could enjoy these seeds,also read were people use old matchboxs with sandpaper rolled up to scuff seeds.MM