Carolyn's 2014 Germination Reports

[kygreg]

Anna Margaret's Heart 2013 4/6

Brazilian Giant 2013 4/6

Herodes 2013 5/6

Loka 2013 0/6

Sakharyni Slon 3/6

Sen-Say 2013 3/6

[carolyn137]

I'm still waiting for many more germination reports. While I can spot some problemones now, I like to know where things are at when I send seeds from my seed offer to commercial places for trial, so that if there's a problem I can tell them that.

Also, if there's a confirmed problem with a few varieties I just won't list them again next january.

Thanks,

Carolyn

[rxkeith]

reporting from da U.P.

seeds planted 4/8

fresa 6/1

joes pink oxheart 9/0

orangevyi velikan 9/3 2 useful plants

rozovyi izumnyi 6/1

sakharnyi slon 8/3 2 useful plants


not the best germination, don't know what happened to joes.

i still get the best germination from my saved seeds including some that are 10 yrs old.


keith

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I'm still waiting for many more germination reports. While I can spot some problemones now, I like to know where things are at when I send seeds from my seed offer to commercial places for trial, so that if there's a problem I can tell them that.

Also, if there's a confirmed problem with a few varieties I just won't list them again next january.

Thanks,

Carolyn

I am so sorry to report that the last 3 Granny’s Heart Seeds didn't germinate at all. Trust me "I tried my best". If you want me to try Granny’s Heart again, I can try to grow them in my second crop of Heirloom this year. Just let me know. O.K.

Farmer, Joyce Beggs

[k3vin]

I found a pouch I received about 3 or 4 years ago and didn't get sown that year. Seeds were stored in a hermetically sealed bail top jar with a large packet of dissecant at -20F.

Maria Amizaletie's Giant Red (2009) 5/7

I have been seeing very good germination on older seeds stored this way. The oldest seeds I have are 8 years old and germination is still very reliable.

Belated thanks, Kevin

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by k3vin

I found a pouch I received about 3 or 4 years ago and didn't get sown that year. Seeds were stored in a hermetically sealed bail top jar with a large packet of dissecant at -20F.

Maria Amizaletie's Giant Red (2009) 5/7

I have been seeing very good germination on older seeds stored this way. The oldest seeds I have are 8 years old and germination is still very reliable.

Belated thanks, Kevin

Hello Kevin

Thanks for sharing your seeds storage methods. Does your Jar have good air circulation with air packets in the top? This is the first year I had to struggle hard with any germination of seeds. Is it possible that our mail is getting X-Ray which may damage seeds or is it the Seeds Saving Method itself. Most to all the seeds I received looks very good, but some are purely dead seeds with little life that I had to work hard to save the projects I'm working on. I really wanted to taste the Granny's Hearts. Have anyone tasted a Granny's Heart?
This is the one's I favored, but don't have.
I think I will ask this same question on my other projects too, and maybe we can understand the low germination rates this year.

Farmer, Joyce Beggs

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by rxkeith

reporting from da U.P.

seeds planted 4/8

fresa 6/1

joes pink oxheart 9/0

orangevyi velikan 9/3 2 useful plants

rozovyi izumnyi 6/1

sakharnyi slon 8/3 2 useful plants


not the best germination, don't know what happened to joes.

i still get the best germination from my saved seeds including some that are 10 yrs old.


keith

I don't know what happened either Keith b'c almost all of them were 2013 seeds, one donated from a commercial grower.

While I've scanned this thread a couple of times I think that others were able to get germination with ones that you didn't. But as soon as I get more feedback I'll make a list of what I think might be problematic ones.

I do know from past experience that some might get 0 germination from one variety and others with the same exact seeds get good germination.

And so it goes.

Carolyn

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by k3vin

I found a pouch I received about 3 or 4 years ago and didn't get sown that year. Seeds were stored in a hermetically sealed bail top jar with a large packet of dissecant at -20F.

Maria Amizaletie's Giant Red (2009) 5/7

I have been seeing very good germination on older seeds stored this way. The oldest seeds I have are 8 years old and germination is still very reliable.

Belated thanks, Kevin

Kevin, when you speak to the Maria germination is that from my seed offer or from your stored seeds? Well, I just answered my own question by looking at my 2014 seed offer and the maria seeds I was offering were 2013 seeds/

And yes, storing seeds at minus 20f is something that some folks do. And when doing so those seeds need to be dehydrated down to 6-8% moisture content which is why most use a dessicant that changes color which indicates the moisture content. And it doesn't have to be a glass jar either, film cannisters, small plastic bottles work just as well. And it's very important to let those seeds warm up before using them so that humidity doesn't build up when you open the container.

I used to do it when I had few seeds of this or that, but I soon found that seeds stored just at ambient temps where I am retained good viability for many years, so I didn't go back to doing it.

My best wake up was getting germination of the variety September Dawn that were 22 yo, but to do that I had to do something special, which I've described here many times in terms of waking up old seeds.

Carolyn

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by MrsJustice

Hello Kevin

Thanks for sharing your seeds storage methods. Does your Jar have good air circulation with air packets in the top? This is the first year I had to struggle hard with any germination of seeds. Is it possible that our mail is getting X-Ray which may damage seeds or is it the Seeds Saving Method itself. Most to all the seeds I received looks very good, but some are purely dead seeds with little life that I had to work hard to save the projects I'm working on. I really wanted to taste the Granny's Hearts. Have anyone tasted a Granny's Heart?
This is the one's I favored, but don't have.
I think I will ask this same question on my other projects too, and maybe we can understand the low germination rates this year.

Farmer, Joyce Beggs

Joyce, I fread your ealier post and saw that you got no germination with Granny's Heart. And yes, I've tasted it. As I just psoted to keith, I'd have to go back and reread this thread or the one from last eyar, b'c I'm sure others did OK with germination.

X-ray of seeds now only takes place with letters and packages that are to be delivered to the various Federal Government buildings in Washington DC.

With your own saved seeds I think there are a lot of factors that are possibly related to their viability. How you process them comes first in my mind, as to fermentation, oxidative methods, etc., and also the condition of the fruits used as to ripeness, actually lots of factors.

Carolyn, who thinks there have been lots and lots of threads in the Seed starting Forum about this but she has not read through many of them, nor commented.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Joyce, I fread your ealier post and saw that you got no germination with Granny's Heart. And yes, I've tasted it. As I just psoted to keith, I'd have to go back and reread this thread or the one from last eyar, b'c I'm sure others did OK with germination.

X-ray of seeds now only takes place with letters and packages that are to be delivered to the various Federal Government buildings in Washington DC.

With your own saved seeds I think there are a lot of factors that are possibly related to their viability. How you process them comes first in my mind, as to fermentation, oxidative methods, etc., and also the condition of the fruits used as to ripeness, actually lots of factors.

Carolyn, who thinks there have been lots and lots of threads in the Seed starting Forum about this but she has not read through many of them, nor commented.

Hello Carolyn

I did get 100% Germination out of the first 5 Granny's Heart Seeds you sent me, but I dropped them as I was taken many of the Plants out-side to harden off an hour a day. I picked the best seeds from the 8. But the last 3 seeds did not Germinate and I tried different methods with the last 3. I sorry I dropped them.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by MrsJustice

Hello Carolyn

I did get 100% Germination out of the first 5 Granny's Heart Seeds you sent me, but I dropped them as I was taken many of the Plants out-side to harden off an hour a day. I picked the best seeds from the 8. But the last 3 seeds did not Germinate and I tried different methods with the last 3. I sorry I dropped them.

Joyce, when I read what you posted above:

(I am so sorry to report that the last 3 Granny’s Heart Seeds didn't germinate at all. Trust me "I tried my best". If you want me to try Granny’s Heart again, I can try to grow them in my second crop of Heirloom this year. Just let me know. O.K. )

I hadn't realized that the first 5 did germinate but were lost.

My seeds are all put away now since at this late date I don't think I'll be getting more SSE requests, and once put away, and put in order again, alphabetically, there they stay.

There were quite a few folks who said they got no germination with this or that,whereas some others did get germination with the same seeds, but if I started sending out replacement seeds in these situations, for me it wouldn't be a good thing to do.

So I hope you understand that. However, I have lots of Granny's Heart seeds and there's always next year.

Carolyn

[MrsJustice]

There is a very nice person here in TomatoVille that is going to send me some of "his" seeds to grow and taste the Granny's Hearts.

Thanks for letting me help.

Farmer, Joyce Beggs

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by MrsJustice

There is a very nice person here in TomatoVille that is going to send me some of her seeds to grow and taste the Granny's Hearts.

Thanks for letting me help.

Farmer, Joyce Beggs

Joyce, I'm so glad that someone helped you out with seeds. It's one thing for one person helping another rather than my sending replacement seeds to all those who had bad germination with some varieties.

As I recall, it is a late midseason, early late season variety, and more information here;

http://67.23.252.182/~tomatovl/showthread.php?t=21512

So when do you plan on sowing seeds and setting out plants?

Carolyn

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Joyce, I'm so glad that someone helped you out with seeds. It's one thing for one person helping another rather than my sending replacement seeds to all those who had bad germination with some varieties.

As I recall, it is a late midseason, early late season variety, and more information here;

http://67.23.252.182/~tomatovl/showthread.php?t=21512

So when do you plan on sowing seeds and setting out plants?

Carolyn

I am thankful to this nice man for giving me some of his Granny's Heart seeds. Throughout the year we have learned from you, we all know how hard you work, especial on projects like these. You have many followers who just love you!! Thanks for the links to Granny Hearts. I loved the Pictures, especially the pictures with the Germanys Heart in the middle of a hand. That is how I feel about my Grandchildren, their hearts is in my hands Amen!!

[greyghost]

Just wanted to say I was a bit concerned about some of the germination
results of the Granny's Heart variety in Carolyn's offer. I haven't regrown it
since '12---just too many new things to try out. I did plant 10 seeds last
Thursday; 9 have germinated-just at room temp. in the kitchen so, generally,
I would expect at least some germination of this variety.

I only kept back 12 seeds so I'm not able to send anyone seeds until the end of summer but I will put at least 2 of these in the garden and will save seeds for
anyone who wants them.

I wish I had thought to request some Dester '12 and/or Granny's from Carolyn's
seed offer this spring---that would have been a good opportunity to see the
effect mailing has on these seeds at least to this address.

I'm suspecting that seeds may be seeing some level of damage during mailing;
after that, I suspect some seeds may have seen high temperatures before
fermentation, etc. or other issues when sowing such as too high a temp. on
a heat mat (I've had this happen). I doubt we'll never have a good understanding of what the germination results are telling us. I also think
that in any given envelope, you may have some seeds taking the brunt of
roller pressure and protecting others from damage so that mailing damage
is not uniform for seeds in the same envelope causing people to suspect
one variety wasn't viable.

I do sometimes see opaque spots on ziplocks I've gotten through the mail. On
occasion, a vendor may send a few packs in an envelope with just a receipt.
Sometimes these seeds are difficult to germinate; other times, not so much
so it's hard to draw definite conclusions.

In Carolyn's case, she's mailing quite a few varieties on just one stamp.
If padding is increased, postage goes up, too. At that point, it's hard
to even predict what postage might be making a tedious task even more
complicated. I guess I feel that even with a few disappointments, a lot
people are getting quite a few new varieties that eventually will become
easier to find.

I guess the bigger issue is for Carolyn to make a determination if seeds are
still viable by watching for patterns. I know it's frustrating when you have to
report 0 germination, especially if you usually experience 100% on your own seed. Believe me, I've been there!! I'm still lusting for a Dutka's Pink seedling.
And, honestly, I feel a bit embarrassed if I don't get any germination, especially
if someone else does, but I think there are just too many things that can cause
lack of viability. I'm still blaming the mail for not having any Dutka's!