Today I got some seeds in the mail. The weird thing was is the stems were pretty green and there was lots moisture in the ziploc bag. I took them out right away and laid them on a paper sack. Will these seeds be any good? Maybe I am wrong but I thought seeds or seed heads were supposed to be very dry before harvesting...and before sending them.If they are not mature will they even sprout? I am not mad about this but before e-mailing this person I want to make sure I am correct. I do not think this person did it deliberately.
I have never had this happen..will these be any good?
Actually, in my experience, most plants should have the opportunity to mature on the plant in order to be viable. On the other hand, I have harvested seeds that were borderline and let them dry to see if they were far enough along to mature...usually this happens when weather closes in on me.
Some seeds need to be harvested before plants dry... such as borage. If you wait for the plant to dry, the seed has long since dropped. I usually make a judgement based on the appearance of the seeds. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. However, green seeds and green foliage in an airtight bag are not likely to be viable, in my opinion.
What sort of seed was it? If they were not all wet try placing them on newspaper and letting them continue to dry. Some may have gotten ruined and never germinate. If it is something you really want try putting them in the fridge in a paper towel just in case they start to germinate. I have had some seeds in rainy condition sprout right on the plant and try to grow while still in the pod. This happened to some marigolds and hollyhocks this year when it was extremely wet for a few days.
There is still the issue of maturity. You might try germinating a couple, but if they are still green, I'm doubtful. Windy is right t ask what kind of seed, and also right that some plants will germinate while still in the pod when the weather was quite wet. However, in my experience, the pods had already dried and the seeds were mature. Maybe you should just contact the party that sent them. Either they know something we don't, or they are in the same learning curve we've all been through.
Thanks!!!! Wendy and Weez...Yes after reading all of these I think I'll just e-mail him/her. I don't want to disclose the seed type because that would disclose the person.
Most of the time, I don't count of seed from trades. That way, I'm happy if they arrive and germinate well, but not upset if they don't. Regardless, if someone sends me unsatisfactory seed or it has been shipped or packaged improperly, I tell them.
I don't want the seed replaced, and I don't want them to feel bad, but I think they should know so they can correct things for the next trader. When you send something out, especially if you are new to seed trading, you have no idea what it looks like when it arrives on the other end.
As a very new trader, I ask everyone I send to to PLEASE let me know if I send things that are not packaged correctly or seeds that don't germinate. I can't learn if recipients don't offer any feedback, so I think you're doing him/her a big favor if you let them know.
That's a great attitude, Sequee. Wanna trade?? LOL!
Me too, Sequee. Although I wouldn't send something green and still in the pod, I worry about the germination rate. I know how to check it, but don't have the time to check everything.
I was under the impression that sweet pea seeds that are still in the pod and green when picked, will germinate if allowed to dry a bit, is that not right?
Raven
Raven_locks, there are some seeds that continue ripening after picking, but I'm not sure about sweet peas. I know that I often pick viola pods before they dry, since they pop open so easily. When you can safely harvest seed is a very interesting subject... whether seeds must be matured on a living plant, or if you can bring them in and allow the pods on the stems to continue on.
There's so much to learn! I swear, the more I learn the more I realize how little I know! I picked hundreds of hosta pods then found out they probably won't be viable since they need to dry before picking - oops!
There has been talk of a seed identification, harvesting, etc. database on DG. I, for one, would like to see that, but I understand the hard work involved for admin. I also would like to see germination info included. I grow most everything from seed, so such information is important. I've got some pictures of seeds, seed pods, seedlings, etc., and I'm sure others do, as well. Some have already been added to the PDB.