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Old March 16, 2011   #1
whistler
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Default Old Space Shuttle Seeds

I have just been given a few tomato seeds that went up on the space shuttle in 1984 for the LDEF [Long Duration Exposure Facility] project. They came back to Earth in 1989 and were distributed to school students for experimentation.

What should I do when planting them to ensure the best germination outcome? As far as I know, the seeds were stored in suitable conditions for the last 22 years.

Thanks for your help.
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Old March 16, 2011   #2
mjc
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How many is a 'few'...

That will help on figuring out how many to try for different methods of 'waking them up'.
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Old March 16, 2011   #3
whistler
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Only 5. Wish it were more.
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Old March 17, 2011   #4
puttgirl
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Cool, I'd try a seaweed extract soak. But I'm sure the experts here know more than I do.
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Old March 17, 2011   #5
DKelly
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5% bleach soak for 5 minutes. put seeds 1/6" down in sterile media that drains well keep evenly moist not wet and about 80 degrees. what type of seeds do you have? when they grow up I would be interested in trading.
-d
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Old March 17, 2011   #6
dustdevil
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I would think they are a collectible with provenance. I'd keep 'em as a curiosity, since the variety probably isn't outstanding anyways. Maybe a visit to Antiques Roadshow is in order

Last edited by dustdevil; March 19, 2011 at 09:23 PM.
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Old March 17, 2011   #7
shlacm
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I think they are Rutgers... there are seeds from their "descendents" listed in the SSE Yearbook.
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