Trove of 1970's 'bag seed' ...this could be fun.

LeastExpectedGrower said:

Ah, I've had a few over the years...Long gone now. Maybe a blacklite poster of the sexual positions zodiac? I'll put some Ten Years After & Mountain on the Hi-Fi for 'em too.

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call it missippie queen

Quick update, I checked the seeds on Monday and there was no action yet. That's about a week out, so not really surprised. I'll keep checking across the next week or two, and if by 3 or so weeks out, I'll do another larger batch of seeds and try again.

Not a fan of paper towel method. Small cup of damp soil, plant 1/2 inch deep. Cover tightly with a baggie to hold the condensation in, put it on a windowsill. Seedling/cutting soil is best. The ones that sunk are your best bet but a week in paper towels can get moldy. Best of luck.

Kerowacked said:

Not a fan of paper towel method. Small cup of damp soil, plant 1/2 inch deep. Cover tightly with a baggie to hold the condensation in, put it on a windowsill. Seedling/cutting soil is best. The ones that sunk are your best bet but a week in paper towels can get moldy. Best of luck.

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Its fine for fresh seeds imo for old seeds it should be in soil ive had no problem popping older seeds i dont do anything fancy either with old seeds dont get me wrong i aint popped nothing as old as the 70s mind you but anyway those in paper towels is a waste however trust me ive tried it plenty its my go to method for fresh seeds personally but you want soil with worm castings in it that can help pop older stubborn seeds and it helps speed up germination in normal ones failing that there is always embryo rescue if normal germination methods arent working but unless your rich or lucky enough to know someone who can do that for you then it probably isnt a viable option for most people yet unfortunately

Kerowacked said:

Not a fan of paper towel method. Small cup of damp soil, plant 1/2 inch deep. Cover tightly with a baggie to hold the condensation in, put it on a windowsill. Seedling/cutting soil is best. The ones that sunk are your best bet but a week in paper towels can get moldy. Best of luck.

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Everything else I germinate in soil. But when dealing with these really old seeds, in quantity, I don't really want to have flats of soil that most likely will germinate nothing and/or having to use multiple heating mats to keep them at a comfy germinating temperature.

With really old seeds you want everything as sterile as possible. There's nothing specifically in worm castings that are going to speed up germination.

Have you tried manually cracking any of the seed shells?

waterproof808 said:

With really old seeds you want everything as sterile as possible. There's nothing specifically in worm castings that are going to speed up germination.

Have you tried manually cracking any of the seed shells?

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This first batch, I sanded through the 'shells' on all of them (Some more, some less) then did a soak in H2O2 for 12 hours before rinsing coating in rooting hormone and keeping them damp.

Try skipping the sanding and just doing a 12 hour soak then manually splitting the shell at the point end before going to your paper towel.

waterproof808 said:

Try skipping the sanding and just doing a 12 hour soak then manually splitting the shell at the point end before going to your paper towel.

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I'll add that to the mix. What's the best method of cracking them?

Welcome to the club

Try putting some in the fridge for a week or so. I've had good luck with finicky beans doing this.

I just use my fingers, but you can use some needle nose pliers. Some people sell seed cracker tools but they are expensive...basically they are just a mini C-clamp you slowly tighten until the shell splits

If they don't crack you can also scuff the outer seed to help them out. You can use an old film canister with sand paper rolled into it

Nizza said:

If they don't crack you can also scuff the outer seed to help them out. You can use an old film canister with sand paper rolled into it

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The first batch I actually sanded the shells on all the seeds...

Bite it

Any updates?

TCH said:

Any updates?

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First batch of seeds did nothing, which I wasn't terribly surprised about. I'm going to do another round with a much greater number (a few hundred)...but that will have to wait because I just started some Chocolope and I can't start any seedlings that might germinate in the same tent that the now weeks along chocolope are growing in.

So I'll update again once the current grow is winding down and do a big pile of seeds to overcome the near-zero germination rate.

I've talked to my cousin with the seeds and he's up for supplying as many as I want so I can keep playing the numbers game.

5.7 ~ Electrogenic Seed Treatment

In the 1970s, A. Zaderej and C. Corson formed Intertec, Inc., to develop and market their "Electrogenic Seed Treatment". The Intertec system simulates a variety of atmospheric conditions are known to benefit plant development. The seeds are conditioned and rejuvenated, resulting in more rapid germination and increased yields.

Seeds are sprayed with a solution of minerals and enzymes that is implanted into the seed coat by electrophoresis; this accelerates chromosomatic activity. A second exposure to high voltage negative ions increases the implantation. Then the seeds are exposed to infrared radiation in order to reduce the hard-seed dormancy and increase the metabolism of ATP.

The next stage uses an electrostatic charge to give cathodic protection. This reduces the mortality rate of seeds by providing a source of electrons to buffer the reaction with free-radical nutrient ions. Seeds must be moist when treated with cathodic protection. Dry seeds may be damaged by this treatment, but damaged seeds can be repaired somewhat if they are moistened.
Cathodic protection increases viability and germination up to 200%. The final stage of the Electrogenic process treats seeds with select radio frequencies that stress the memory of DNA
molecules, charges the mitochondria, and intensifies other metabolic processes. This treatment increases the degree of water absorption, electrical conductivity, and oxygen uptake. The frequencies range from 800 KHz to 1.5 MHz with a field intensity of 3.2 W/sq cm.

The seeds need to be treated at or near where they are to be sown. For some unknown reason, the effects of Electrogenic treatment apparently do not travel well.

So i put some in the microwave and play some Zeppelin?