Starting / Germinating Old Seeds In Damp Paper Towels

[Nifty]

Hi Gang,

I mentioned in another thread that I have some old.... really really really old seeds I thought I'd try to germinate before tossing them out. I've had them "set" for about 6 days and have some questions:

1) Let's say 1 of 10 seeds sprouts. Can I plant that seed and expect it to turn into a plant that would be as good as the ones I planted years ago?

2) I've got them in very lightly dampened paper towels that are then sealed in Ziploc baggies. Should they be closed or left open?

3) Should these be placed in the sun / where it is warm to aid in germination?

3) Related to the above items: I think I'm growing mold on my paper towels. Is this normal during the process and if not, what should I be doing differently?

4) Most of the seed packets say (germination in 7 - 12 days). If I don't see any change at all by day 12 then I guess I know all of them are bad?

Thanks much!

 

[bluebird]

Nifty,
I used to work for a garden center, and we tested the "old" seeds every year. The germination rate goes down after a couple years but they should still be viable.

1) I would try it--chances are they would be as good.
2) Close the plastic bag. Moisture helps germination; IF you do have it open, mist the towels daily.
3) Dark always worked for us
4) Give them a few more days, but chances are not good.

Good luck!

 

[patandchickens]

Rob,

Plants from tinier than usual seeds (tinier than usual for that kind of plant I mean) don't usually turn out so well, but I've never heard that plants from *old* seeds have any problem.

I've never done anything to deliberately warm seeds I was presprouting or testing, but I think it would depend on what kind of seeds they are (some germinate better cool, some germinate better at r.t., some better warm). Youd have to look it up. Do *not* put them in direct sunlight, you may cook your seeds

If mold is really growing on the paper towels that has got to be a bad thing for the seeds' prospects. I've never had that happen myself though... were the paper towels from an old package that was lying around the basement for a few months, or were the baggies recycled from another use, or is it possible the water they were dampened with was, ah, not the cleanest from a microbial standpoint? I dunno. Strange!

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Nifty]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions!

Perhaps the mold is due to working on a kitchen table that was not totally clean therefore transferring some stuff to the paper towels.

I'll check after a few more days and if I don't see anything happening I'll give it a try with crisp clean towels and work in a sterile environment. I might as well play with the seeds before throwing them all out.

 

[Nifty]

Well, some good news! about 5 of my 15 pea seeds sprouted, many of my cherry tomatoes sprouted, and all of my "blue lake bush beans" sprouted.

Pretty amazing considering some are about 5 years old.

I'm still watching my Lisbon onions, corn, zucchini and summer squash seeds (the latter two were set about 3 days later than all the others) to sprout.

 

[ozark hen]

Rob, if the table you are referring to is inside a garden shed or out of doors I don't think that had anything to do with it...look at the seeds that lay in all kinds of weather, etc. over the year/years before germinating? Some plants come to us via the birds flying OVER us.

 

[Nifty]

Well, I don't consider myself a photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I took some pictures of the bean seeds that sprouted in my paper towels and this one turned out pretty nicely:

 

[bluebird]

That is a great pic! CONGRATZZZZZZZZZZ

 

[Nifty]

Wow, I just finished doing this with my 5 year old... funny to see that I'm instinctively doing it at almost the exact same time as last year.

Did I mention a year ago how old these seeds are?

Alana was pretty excited about this:

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Some times old seeds take longer to germinate than new seeds, so don't give up right away.

Depending upon what the seeds are, bottom heat will probably make them germinate faster . . . the top of a refrigerator or the top of a water heater is supposed to be a good place to get a little extra heat, if need be.