Old tomato seeds, need advice

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by Hensaplenty

Is there a consensus on storing seeds in plastic baggies or paper envelopes?

Hensaplenty : My thoughts on that subject are this. If the dried seeds have too high of a moisture level still in them, and you put them into a plastic bag and seal them up, the risk of something like "damp rotting" might take over and destroy them. Again, I have no scientific data to back up this thought, but I always tend to err on the safe side. I usually put my seeds onto an uncoated paper plate for initial drying and that is done in my homemade seed dryer. When they first come out of the homemade dryer, they go into coin envelopes for a few weeks and this allows them to continue releasing moisture as they stabilize with the ambient humidity.

I don't permanently store any seeds in plastic baggies. My final storing container is some repurposed prescription bottles. If medicines do well in these bottles, then my seeds should also do well.

If I were to have to choose between plastic or paper as the only thing I could ever use, I would always go with the paper.

[Moshou]

I vote for paper bags (envelopes) too.
If I buy seeds packed in plastic I remove them in paper.

I have no evidence, but I think that seeds, even well dried, need to 'breathe'.

[Hensaplenty]

Thanks, ContainerTed and Moshou!

[BlackBear]

it seems if by chance you might want to call on some rare

seeds 10 + years after storing ….and one knew at the time it was a possibility of attempting this
at original time of storing ….

Then how could you store ? ...or put to long term sleep? ...in a way that would enhance your chance of revival after 10 years ?

ideas ?

[Black Krim]

Carolyn was very skilled at waking up old seed. Perhaps digging thru her posts might reveal tidbits or even her whole proceedure.

Im sorry I cant be more helpful.....I read bits a few years ago on starting very old seed and as a novice admired her skill.

[Moshou]

Originally Posted by BlackBear

it seems if by chance you might want to call on some rare

seeds 10 + years after storing ….and one knew at the time it was a possibility of attempting this
at original time of storing ….

Then how could you store ? ...or put to long term sleep? ...in a way that would enhance your chance of revival after 10 years ?

ideas ?

According to my experience tomato seeds can be 5 years stored in paper envelopes, if a constant temperature of 15 ° C = 59 ° F if is provided. A friend of mine keeps them in the freezer and they are good for 10 years

[Moshou]

Originally Posted by Black Krim

Carolyn was very skilled at waking up old seed. Perhaps digging thru her posts might reveal tidbits or even her whole proceedure.

Im sorry I cant be more helpful.....I read bits a few years ago on starting very old seed and as a novice admired her skill.

If I remember well, the seeds had to be soaked in chamomile tea for 4-6 hours. In my case this method didn't work

[MsCowpea]

https://tgrc.ucdavis.edu/seed_germ.aspx

TGRC (Tomato Genetic Resource Center).
They maintain genetic material of wild tomato species for research

This is how they germinate difficult species and old seed as well.

Talks about the specifics of bleach soak and scarification.