Help me fix my seed-saving technique?

[OneDahlia]

I saved tomato seeds for the first time late this summer. Did a germination test and only 3 of 12 seeds germinated. Also tried two purchased varieties at the same time and got 0% germination of one and 100% of the other. All three seed varieties were started in the same good commercial seed starting mix with the same method -- sowed shallow, light covering of seed starter on top, watered from the bottom, spray misted on top, covered with plastic wrap, on top of the fridge.

I'm assuming my seed saving technique is not there yet, to get a 25% germination rate. I want to fix this by next summer.

I fermented the seeds with a little water in a cup on top of the fridge for 4-5 days, swirling it around every couple days, then poured out the floating stuff, rinsed the seeds in a strainer, and put them out to dry on a coffee filter on a plate. Dried for several weeks to a month.

What did I do wrong? Should I let it ferment longer? I was afraid they'd start to sprout in the water.

I'd rather get this technique right than try OxyClean or other chemicals at the moment. Might possibly be open to those in the future, but I'd rather go the old-fashioned way for now.

[tam91]

How long did you wait before concluding that they weren't going to germinate?

Seems like maybe the problem is somehow more with the starting of the seeds than saving, since one of the commercial ones didn't work for you either.

[amideutch]

Your seeds should need no longer than a week to dry MAX. Normally 3-4 days is sufficient. Then put them in coin envelopes or ZipLocks and store in a cool place. Best way to do a germination test is get some #4 coffee filters. Put 10 seeds inside the filter and spray both sides of the filter with water, enough to wet but not dripping. Then put the filter w/seeds in a ziplock, seal and put on top of a cabinet out of direct sunlight. After 7-10 days germination should be done depending on the ambient temperature. Hold the Ziplock up to a light and count your germinated seeds.

Normally I remove the seeds from the fruit and put into jars to ferment on a weekend and the following weekend I remove and clean them and set on paper plates to dry on top of my kitchen cupboards out of the way and the following weekend remove the seeds from the plates and put into ZipLocks for storage. Ami

[OneDahlia]

Yeah, could be seed starting rather than seed saving. I have 10 in a damp paper towel in a ziploc on top of my fridge now -- will check on them next weekend.

Ami, that sounds like a good routine -- one week for each stage. Thanks.

[dice]

I use coffee filters, and my rule on drying is "at least 2 days". If they sit
there for a week or more before I get to them, no big deal, their moisture
level is not going to vary much from the extra time.

They do need warmth to sprout, though. When using coffee filters inside
ziplocks, I set them on a box or something a foot or two away from a
furnace outlet, and I will let them sit there for a few weeks before giving
up on them. Usually it is 3-5 days for fresh seeds, but I have had older
seeds sprout after 6 weeks in moist seed-starting mix.

[OneDahlia]

Wow, I didn't realize 2 days is enough time to dry.

So I've had some of my saved seeds in a paper towel inside a ziploc bag on the fridge for almost a week, and nothing! Not one has germinated yet. I did read the other day that the seeds need air ... and I carefully squeezed all the air out of the bag before sealing it last weekend. Sigh. I've let some air into the bag now.

Glad I'm practicing now -- guess I have all winter to practice till I get it right. I've read about gardening all summer and fall (ask my husband ) and I swear things did grow in my garden this year, mostly from seed ... I'm not sure how that happened because right now, I feel like such a dunce.

[dice]

I start most of my seeds in seed-starting mix (or, last year, just coir,
then repotted up into coir-earthworm_castings-perlite after they
had a set of true leaves) in spring, and I get good germination at
around 70-72F. When starting older seeds (5-10 years) or seeds that
did not sprout in seed-starting mix the year before, I use the coffee
filters and sealable sandwich bags, but I only leave them completely
closed for the first day. That is long enough to thoroughly hydrate
the seeds. After that, I leave the bag open and check it weekly to see
if the coffee filter is drying out. Instead of using just water, I moisten
the coffee filters with 1 part hydrogen peroxide (3% drugstore stuff)
to 10 parts water, to inhibit molds from growing on the seeds.

So they are only airless for the first day, after that there is air circulation
in the plastic bags. Works fairly well. I still occasionally get "no sprouts
from 5 seeds in a month" and so on, but that is just the seeds themselves.
I tend to be convinced that they really are not viable after that. (I did
have some Guido seeds like that, but since I still had seeds left, I persisted,
and on the third year one of them finally sprouted after a couple of weeks.)

[OneDahlia]

More good info -- thanks, Dice!