A survey on the oldest seeds you have ever germinated.

I want to take a survey on the oldest seeds you have ever sprouted. The ones shown here are Sophora secundifolia, sown June '08 and I have had them 5 years. I am enclosing a picture of some seeds I have that I got in 1996: Cassia species: Tenarife, Spain. The picture clearly shows that the seeds swelled up after being nicked & soaked overnight. Will try to show them if they grow. They did sink in the water after being nicked & I am assuming they are viable. Since they swelled up, I am almost positive they are viable. Would love to see what other old seeds others have successfully sown. Thanks. Buttoneer

Here are the cassia species, Tenarife Spain.

My mother has dozens of old seeds, some from as far back as 1972! I haven't tried germinating them yet, but I plan to, just for fun. Will keep you posted...

Thanks. This is going to be verrrrry interesting.

A great thread and perfect with great timing for me since I am testing some of my old seeds. These are seeds large enough to handle, not tiny.

I have Datura inoxia seeds from 2002 that I collected from my son's plants before I moved from NE to WY. I also have the same variety of seeds from 2004 gathered from the sowed 2002 plants. The 2004 seeds I have in a plastic container stored in the refrigerator.

While looking for something in my garden shed, I came across a plastic shoe box full of different varieties of old seeds I had forgotten about. All are hardy perennials. I had given my daughter a bunch of seeds 2 years ago thinking I had given her all of them. Gosh, this must be a sign of aging!!

I haven't started plants from seeds for a few years. This year I wanted more plants since I am redoing my borders. Likewise is my daughter. Since I found all those seeds, I figured I may as well test them out using the damp paper napkin method. I ususally sow seeds in my coldframe but I am out of space in there. Nor did I want to waste seeding mix if the seeds weren't going to germinate.

The first variety of seeds I sowed were the C. macrocephala from 2004. I placed 10 seeds in a moist paper towel and placed it in a ziplock bag. Left the ziplock bag on top of my refrigerator where it is warmer than the house temperature. Seven out of 10 germinated in 7 days. The average time is 5 to 10 days. I have already potted them up 2 to a 3" pot, since I was unprepared for such fast germination, if at all. Next came Datura with the same method. I tried both the 2002 and the 2004, without any difference. Germination count was a bit lower. Six out of 10 seeds have germinated but others may be stragglers.

Now I am on a roll. I have 26 varieties of seeds so far in little packages of paper towels in baggies. Some I am stratifying in the refrigerator, other not. All were started between 2/18 and 3/1. To mention a few:
Scabiosa---2 varieties, germinated
Geranium 'Vision'---2 so far
Dianthus plumarius---in frige
Armeria---in frig
Euphorbia polychroma---in frige
Asclepia tuberosa---in frige
Callirhoe involucrata---in frige
Catananche caerulea
Salvia argentea---4 so far
Heliopsis helianthoides---9 germinated
and more to do

I hadn't planned on that many seeds germinating. Forget window space. I will have to drag out my 4ft long plant light and set it up again over a shelf. Too early to plant outdoors. Once through the real baby stage, I can bring them over to my daughter's sun room.

I came to the conclusion: never toss out old seeds. They do not have to be fresh to germinate. Also, I just want a few plants of each so this method prevents oversowing and wasting seeds. Love it!!!

Caption: Photo of germinated seeds of Centaurea macrocephala just prior to potting up.







This message was edited Mar 3, 2009 1:08 AM

This message was edited Mar 3, 2009 1:16 AM

And here are 2 Centaurea macrocephala seedlings potted in a 3" foam pot.

This is what the plant will look like as an "adult". This is not a hybrid so comes true from seeds.

Blomma,

I'm worried that you're a little too late with planting your Centaurea macrocephala.
Only 2 seeds still look good enough to plant. With the others the growing tips of the roots (apical meristem) are not alive anymore. I wonder if they will make a new root tips.
Let us know.

My oldest germinating seeds are about 5 years old. Most of my old seeds didn't germinate. I didn't kept them in a cool place over the years. Even the ones that germinated didn't grow as well as the fresh seeds.

RoP
You may be right about some not making it. Actually 4 are growing in their pots. I didn't expect them to germinate that soon, if at all, so didn't check as often as I should have. No biggie!! I can do it all again. I have plenty of seeds.

Try my method with your old seeds before you give up on them. Mine weren't store cool either, as stated in my post.

This message was edited Mar 3, 2009 2:34 AM

I once heard that seeds lose about 10% viability for each year they are not planted. So if you plant 100 seeds (who is going to start that many?), you still might get 10 to come up. The idea is to have a few come up, so you can get more seeds to save. I am going to try the paper towel ziploc baggie method on top of my fridge & leave myself a note (yes, I am over 30), to check them. I have a greenhouse and the temp is kept at 55 degrees which is not conducive to start seeds, so I may bring those Cassias back in & start them in a paper towel in a plastic bag. Hoping more DG-ers pick up on this thread & add input and pictures.

I germinated 17 year old tomato seeds a few years ago. Got 80% with 10 seeds (8 came up)

Here is the method that I used. Took a cup full of tepid water and added the smallest pinch of Miracle Gro. There is a chemical that oxygenates the seeds in it.

Soaked my seeds overnight and planted as usual. Sterile seed starter just barely damp, plastic cells (NOT peat) warm conditions (78*) and lightly covered until the first one germinates.

Wow, Melody, that is encouraging news! I did read that soaking them first in a liquid fertilizer helps. It was the fourth post here:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/heirloom/msg1120114715387.html

Blomma, sounds like you've got some good possibilities! Keep us posted.

Buttoneer
There are some perennials that need stratification (cold treatment) so your greenhouse temperature would be fine for those seeds. I have had seeds sprout in the refrigerator. Or shortly after I brought the baggie out.

Since I got carried away, I dug out my plant light and mounted it above a shelf since seeds germinating in baggies have been transplanted into flats and are up and growing.

Melody The kitchen towel method is comparable to soaking but is safer for seeds. Only a few seeds needs to be soaked, such as Hibiscus and others with a hard coated shell. Needs to be nicked first so that the seed can absorb moisture. Soaking without nicking defeats the purpose.

Now back to putting my seed flats under the light. I will try to post some photos of the setup when I get a chance.


Now.

Haven't heard from anybody on this thread lately?????

My thirty year old tomato seeds didn't sprout, lol. My son said he might send me some gibberelic acid to try on the others. It sounds like a very tedious procedure, but hey, why not?

T hat's w hat it's all about, experimentation.

last year I germinated zinnia seeds my dad found in his basement from 1999

I always take very good care of my seeds. I buy and save and trade. I did tomato from 1999, this year. I also have some kind of hot pepper seeds we found after my grandfather passed away last year that were dated 1981 and I would be darned I started them this year, nothing, nothing, and then suprise they germinated. I gave up and put then on the bottom shelf and did not water and to my suprise.. I have some kind of hot pepper I would have to say its most lily chili's.

My funny story is I started some tomatoes this year, thinned to flats and tossed the rest that were in my germination pots outside in the small greenhouse (just a 2 tier one) they have made it every frost and cold snap we have had and you know they are dong better than the ones inside my home in the greenhouse with lights!! the funny part is when I was done making my flats I just struck them in another pot thinking they would die in the cold so nothing is labeled,, got to love it !! So I can’t deal with wasting them I am going to just stick in my flower beds and pots and give a ton away!!!

Cheryle

Wow! Those are encouraging stories--maybe I'll try again.

I bought some Lupine seeds in England 3 years ago. I was visiting Shakespeare's birthplace. Forgot all about them until this year. Lo and behold they all sprouted.

On a side note. I didn't know you weren't supposed to bring plants/seeds/bulbs etc. through customs until after I got home.

LOL, I'm happy for you that you got away with it, and that it paid off!

the hardest part for me is my father and brother save seeds for me to but they are still learning that they need to keep better labeling !! great example they save sweet dumplin squash seeds for me, well they thought they were !! they ended up beeing acorn squash !! so I am trying to train them to write the name on the paper plate so that way no way to mess that up !!! well maybe,,,

now I did try to germ some old hibiscus seeds and nothing,, I have been trying to use the old ones up but I buy new things to try and forget about the old. What I did over the nasty winter months, logged them all in a book with the year I collected them or purchased them ,, so I hope that helps ..

Cheryle