should we treat seeds before planting?

[Labradors2]

Cool!

I have some beans that I harvested in the summer, so I could listen to them bounce and compare the new ones. If that is too difficult to figure out, I'll have to sacrifice one of the new beans to the hammer!

Thanks,
Linda

[Tormato]

The only problem I see in freezing beans is when done shortly after harvest. After many months have gone by, everything should be dry.

Gary

[travis]

I grew some seeds sent from the former Soviet Union several years ago. I grew a couple of plants without first sanitizing the seeds. Russian Chocolate, I think they were labeled. I got the weirdest leaf fungus I ever saw before. Nasty and fatal. Only 2 tomato plants in the patch with the symptoms. Luckily, the disease took the plants down quickly and there was no rain or wind to speak of to spread the fungus. I ripped them out quickly.

Same thing happed another year with some seeds from Australia, although that disease resembled TSWV or maybe curly top virus. Yeah, I know there's not much you can do to kill viruses in the endosperm ... except maybe a hot water bath.

Anyway, I tend to sanitize seeds before planting whether they came out of my garden or were imported from the larger world. IN the case of my one seeds, the bleach bath is done after a ferment and before drying and storing.

For seeds obtained from non-professional sources, a quick, one or so minute bath in 1 part household bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite) to 4 parts tap water seems to do the trick. Rinse well after the 60 - 90 second soak, and plant.

[Labradors2]

Thanks Travis,

I'll give that a whirl. I have enough seeds to experiment on! I've had problems in the past with plants where I'd saved the seed myself and they have become diseased, possibly because I wasn't fermenting them for long enough.

Linda