Starting old pelleted seeds

Rajun Gardener · December 7, 2017

I posted a while back about a friend having a can of old seeds given to him. He tried to grow a few plants and couldn't get them to germinate so I took some to try to get them going. After reading about it here I started them today hoping to get some going using a few different methods.

I read that coated seeds don't last as long due to the coating not allowing oxygen to get to the seed so I soaked them to remove the coating and cleaned them before the various soaking methods I'm using.

How long should I let them soak?

I've got 5 different methods going and they're on a seed starting mat.

1, Hydrogen Peroxide(H202), water and a little Miracle Grow(MG)

2, H202 and water

3, MG and water

4, Calcium Nitrate, H202 and water

5, Calcium Nitrate, H202, MG and water

imp · December 7, 2017

I don't know myself, maybe some one will have a good answer for you. Be good to know. Good luck with them, hope it all works too!

KarenO · December 7, 2017

I personally would not try. If you want to have a go ,The coating on pelletized seed It’s usually just Kayolin or clay. Even in fresh seed my experience has been that pelletized seed has a lower germination rate. I would soak them to remove to coating rinse and then treat as for any older seed. Handle with care (gloves) do not breathe the dust, your seeds were treated with insecticide.
Best wishes.

sirtanon · December 8, 2017

I've got some pelleted seeds in my stash for 1 or 2 varieties, and I always seem to get poor germination on them.

I've gone to soaking them until the coating dissolves, then rubbing them clean, and then soaking them in an MG solution prior to sowing.. and I've still seen terrible results. Ugh..

Good luck on yours.

Rajun Gardener · December 8, 2017

I added another method with just water after I cleaned the seeds. I just checked and nothing yet but I may plant them all later today and just play the waiting game. He has a pound of seed and I'm thinking the odds are in my favor of getting at least one going.

sirtanon · December 8, 2017

Wow! An actual POUND of these seeds? That's a huge amount.

Granted, of that pound, I'd wager that probably around 2/3 of the weight is the pellet coating.. still, that's a LOT of seed. Odd should be good that you'll get at least one plant if you tried to start them all, provided they were stored in a decent environment.

Rajun Gardener · December 8, 2017

That picture of the can is deceiving, It's as tall as a V-8 can and about 4" across. I'm crossing my fingers for at least 1 plant.

imp · December 8, 2017

Never know unless you try. Good luck, hope you get a bunch of them!

MissS · December 8, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by imp

Never know unless you try. Good luck, hope you get a bunch of them!

Yep, I would give them a fair chance. You have nothing to lose only some planting mix and a pot. That can looks to be well sealed for all of these years so moisture changes have not been much a factor. Soaking them and trying to remove the coating is also an excellent idea.

Go for it!

Greatgardens · December 9, 2017

Can anyone decipher the print numbers at the bottom of the can that starts with
812 676 1000 99...
99% purity and a date of test of 1-11-90? Maybe the test germination was 676 of 812? That would be about 83%, so would be reasonable. BTW, interesting challenge - good luck!

Rajun Gardener · December 10, 2017

Does this help?

Greatgardens · December 13, 2017

Thanks. I actually could read it, but am unsure about what the numbers mean. In particular: 812 676 1000. The thing that makes the most sense to me is that they started with 1000 seeds. Then the other two numbers refer to the number that germinated. Maybe 676 after a week and ultimately 812?
GG

KarenO · December 13, 2017

I think it's maybe the Lot #?
KarenO

Rajun Gardener · May 22, 2018

I didn't have any luck with those methods. I thought at least one would sprout. I'm trying a different technique I read about from the Mary Jane growers. I cleaned off about 200 seeds and put them in an airtight container with water and a little MG. I have an aquarium air pump with a stone in the container oxygenating the solution and keeping them stirred up. The thought is to pressurize the oxygen into the seed. I'll leave it alone for 24 hours and plant them. We'll see if it works!!

Nan_PA_6b · May 23, 2018

It's written like this:

812...........676............1000........99....... ......1..........11/90
variety.......lot..............germ.......purity.. .....inert.......date of test

so it's variety #812, lot #676, germination 100.0%, 99% pure seed, 1% inert material, tested on 11/90. The last column is net weight, but I can't make sense of the alphanumerics.

Nan

December 8, 2017	#4
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	I've got some pelleted seeds in my stash for 1 or 2 varieties, and I always seem to get poor germination on them. I've gone to soaking them until the coating dissolves, then rubbing them clean, and then soaking them in an MG solution prior to sowing.. and I've still seen terrible results. Ugh.. Good luck on yours. __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

December 7, 2017	#2
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	I don't know myself, maybe some one will have a good answer for you. Be good to know. Good luck with them, hope it all works too!

December 7, 2017	#3
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	I personally would not try. If you want to have a go ,The coating on pelletized seed It’s usually just Kayolin or clay. Even in fresh seed my experience has been that pelletized seed has a lower germination rate. I would soak them to remove to coating rinse and then treat as for any older seed. Handle with care (gloves) do not breathe the dust, your seeds were treated with insecticide. Best wishes.

December 8, 2017	#5
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	I added another method with just water after I cleaned the seeds. I just checked and nothing yet but I may plant them all later today and just play the waiting game. He has a pound of seed and I'm thinking the odds are in my favor of getting at least one going.

December 9, 2017	#10
Greatgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,124	Can anyone decipher the print numbers at the bottom of the can that starts with 812 676 1000 99... 99% purity and a date of test of 1-11-90? Maybe the test germination was 676 of 812? That would be about 83%, so would be reasonable. BTW, interesting challenge - good luck!

December 13, 2017	#12
Greatgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,124	Thanks. I actually could read it, but am unsure about what the numbers mean. In particular: 812 676 1000. The thing that makes the most sense to me is that they started with 1000 seeds. Then the other two numbers refer to the number that germinated. Maybe 676 after a week and ultimately 812? GG

May 23, 2018	#15
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	It's written like this: 812...........676............1000........99....... ......1..........11/90 variety.......lot..............germ.......purity.. .....inert.......date of test so it's variety #812, lot #676, germination 100.0%, 99% pure seed, 1% inert material, tested on 11/90. The last column is net weight, but I can't make sense of the alphanumerics. Nan