Old Seeds

[CinnamintStick]

I just found some of my old seeds. They are dated 2001 from Chuck Wyatt. Do you think I will get some to germinate? I put them in fiber grow pots, with black gold seedling mix. I added mycorrhizal and watered with dilute liquid seaweed. I slipped them in a plastic bag. Should I add bottom heat?

[JamesL]

I would say yes to bottom heat.
If they don't come up and you have others left, you could try pre-germinating them. I do it for almost all my stuff . A lot of extra work if you are growing many though. (which I am not)

[Doug9345]

Also give them lots of time. I have some seed that I bought in 2007 that I planted 4/1 come up yesterday.

[CinnamintStick]

I raise poultry so I put them on top of my incubators for bottom heat. I never would have thought to wait so long for them to come up. I think the last time I grew any of these seed was about 4 years ago. They where old then but came up fine. Somehow I miss placed them, but my husband found them for me.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by CinnamintStick

I raise poultry so I put them on top of my incubators for bottom heat. I never would have thought to wait so long for them to come up. I think the last time I grew any of these seed was about 4 years ago. They where old then but came up fine. Somehow I miss placed them, but my husband found them for me.

First, you don't give your gardening zone in CA and if in the 8 or 9 or 10 region it's way too late to start any seeds now. especially real old ones like those from 2001. I would do something different from you, but no matter, b'c it can take not just weeks but a couple of months before you see anything germinating.

But more to the point, Chuck Wyatt was a good friend of mine, he died in June of 2002, but for several years before that his several medical conditions caused him to be very very confused at times.

And I know that if someone ordered a variety and he didn't have it or couldn't find it he did some substitutes without telling that person.

As long as you know that the varieties you ordered and grew out more recently were spot on for the variety, fine, but for those that you never grew from 2001, please be warned to take a good look at anything that germinates when you get mature plants with fruits.

If you're in a zone 8 or 9 or 10 in CA and wanting to try to wake up old seeds if it were me I'd do it starting in Nov b'c if you do it now you'd be getting into the HOT summers where plants don't do well, can go dormant and all that.

I hope that helps.

[CinnamintStick]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

First, you don't give your gardening zone in CA and if in the 8 or 9 or 10 region it's way too late to start any seeds now. especially real old ones like those from 2001. I would do something different from you, but no matter, b'c it can take not just weeks but a couple of months before you see anything germinating.

But more to the point, Chuck Wyatt was a good friend of mine, he died in June of 2002, but for several years before that his several medical conditions caused him to be very very confused at times.

And I know that if someone ordered a variety and he didn't have it or couldn't find it he did some substitutes without telling that person.

As long as you know that the varieties you ordered and grew out more recently were spot on for the variety, fine, but for those that you never grew from 2001, please be warned to take a good look at anything that germinates when you get mature plants with fruits.

If you're in a zone 8 or 9 or 10 in CA and wanting to try to wake up old seeds if it were me I'd do it starting in Nov b'c if you do it now you'd be getting into the HOT summers where plants don't do well, can go dormant and all that.

I hope that helps.

Hi Carolyn. I remember you from the AOL board and your book that I have. I am in the high desert in Phelan Ca right below the mountains at 4,500 ft. It is zone 8. My zip code is 92371 and one line list my last frost as 5/19 We get snow in May here and go right into summer. I have a terrible time figuring out when to plant and still get pollination do to the heat. I am usually way to early with seeds. But then I also get poor pollination if I wait to long. I have not been to successful to say that the seeds are what they say they are. I just hope to get any tomatoes at this point.