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Allentown, PA

I was just curious how old a AG seed you had germinate?
I've had very old tomato seeds some being 12 to 15 years old germinate.
How old have you gone?

3/27/2012 7:55:43 AM

President - GPC

Last Year...895 Hester.... 11 yearZ old....the seed didnt know it...very vigorous, popped in 3 dayZ....

3/27/2012 11:47:52 AM

Allentown, PA

Wow Wiz, excellent!

3/29/2012 3:35:17 PM

President - GPC

I likened it to wrapping AL foil around the peat potZ...I waZ able to keep the soil temp at the seed to 86.5 degreeZ exactly. I have the thermoZstat on my heating mat, digital, itZ worth gold!. If you dont have AL foil around the peat pot...that heat mat will crank the tempZ up trying to hit that 86.5 degree mark I had set.. since Peat iZnt conductive...Like using cardboard as a pan on a stove... Try it...stackin all thoZe potZ in my heating chamber they all touch....so heat tranZfers between them all....WaZ the best germination year I had...Also popped a pair of 1016 Daletas too.. and LG's in 3-4 dayZ... Give it a try!

3/29/2012 3:56:40 PM

Allentown, PA

I will do exactly that Wiz, Thanks!!

3/29/2012 8:56:01 PM

Muddy Waters

Wiz was that seed freezer kept?

3/30/2012 6:41:48 PM

Canada

Myself I wouldnt so much worrie about the age of the seed but id me more worried about if the genes are affected the longer the seed sits around......
How big of a kin did the 11 year old seed produce ? From what i hear for every year they age they lose a certian % from what they could have possibly produced. How true is this? Or could an really old seed possibly POP the new WR ? Dave

4/1/2012 12:19:24 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Great question Dave!!! Curious, as to the oldest seed to set a new WR? Sorta thinkin, it won't be long b/4 we awl know!!! I sorta thinkin, that it isn't the age of the seed, but the progress (mostly from info, and seed avability on this site) that crosses have been made!!!! ie...Slungers!!!! It just keeps getting better!!
Dave, to yer last ?, I doubt it!!!! But...JMHO!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...but never given the new growing tactics, and Amelio's help!!!! anything is possible!!!! LOL

4/1/2012 11:12:13 PM

Webster, NY

My naive thought is that the genetics are there regardless of age. I've read about the 2000 year old Date Tree Seed that germinated and is doing well.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/13/science/sci-methuselah13

Now, would that tree have grown faster, taller, and bear more fruit if it had been planted 2000 years ago? I don't know. It's an interesting question...

4/2/2012 5:49:55 AM

Sourthern Utah

tryed some 1500 yr old corn a couple years .. back,, they germed good .. tho I didnt get any cobs on them,, we had a bad yrs,, very small, crop on everything that year

4/2/2012 8:23:59 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Great post PA_J. Two years ago I got 5 of 6 2000/95 Seca long gourd seeds to germinate. They actually did very well. This year for fun I'm going to try a 1995- 850 Larue seed.
Wiz- not to be a downer , but your success with the 895 Hester may be more to do with the seed condition than germination technique. Eddy gave me a 670 Daigle two years ago that popped after three days. It had also been frozen which stopped the clock.

As for older seeds, they start off with an obvious disadvantage, however, as the great Tremor said- As the seeds age the stored starches & hormones start to degrade. Not only will fewer old seeds germinate, but the ones that do will grow more slowly until they're producing their own photosynthates."

That being said, a great older seed can still produce a giant specimen if all the stars algn.

4/2/2012 9:25:21 PM

President - GPC

Andy, perhaps...the seed was in great condition, but was one I received way back when...from Peace Wayne...no freeZer. LG's have germed eaZier too with this new method as it workZ well. Give it a try!

4/3/2012 1:07:07 PM

Webster, NY

I just tried, as a practice seed, a 12 year old that I wasn't going to plant. It's germinated after 48 hours. Not bad...

4/12/2012 3:59:14 PM

Ltb

10

6/14/2014 2:11:00 PM