growing older seeds

[Budley Doright]

Nice work Dr,

I'm sure all your info help many!

What's the consensus on whether or not you "need"to ph balance and H2o2 the water before soaking beans?

You guys think it's absulutely necessary?

Not really touched on by many of the literature and breeders.

Indefinately
" Let it be green in 2016 "

Never PH my water, just plop them in a opaque Tupperware container with paper towel, put them on the top of the water heater under a towel and 24 hours later their popped, 36 hours and their in their in their final spot . My well water is about 7ish out of tap.

 

[Indefinately]

Never PH my water, just plop them in a opaque Tupperware container with paper towel, put them on the top of the water heater under a towel and 24 hours later their popped, 36 hours and their in their in their final spot . My well water is about 7ish out of tap.

Hey Budley Doright

That's what I think the general consensus would be.

That's what I have always done.

But there's a few people that are recommending H2o2 and Ph water.

I'm curious if that would be advantageous in increasing your chances of popping older stock.

Indefinately

" Let it be Green In 2016"

 

[Budley Doright]

Hey Budley Doright

That's what I think the general consensus would be.

That's what I have always done.

But there's a few people that are recommending H2o2 and Ph water.

I'm curious if that would be advantageous in increasing your chances of popping older stock.

Indefinately

" Let it be Green In 2016"

Yes it could be but pretty high success rate with what I do. Perhaps on older seed there may be better results.

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

I will share my planting routine with you guys. I mix up the soil ahead of time. I like to use no {or very little} ferts in the mix if the seeds are going in cups. {when planting in gallon pots, the plants will stay there longer, so I use a slightly hotter mix in the bottom 1/3 of the pot, a 50/50 mix of that and the no fert mix for the middle 1/3 and the no fert mix for the top 1/3} I use a lot of Metro Mix potting soil in my planting mix. It's pretty light and seeds do good in it.

I always go by the moon signs and phases when planting. {Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are good above ground days, so if you still have beans to pop, put them in soil on one of those days. I thought I was through for the year, but I may start a few more}

I have a ceremony that I do when planting that is kind of silly, but it has worked for me over the years. I face the east, early in the morning is best, when the sun is just coming up. It also helps to be bare chested, but this isn't a deal breaker. I have a bowl packed with the bud the seeds came from {if possible}. I take as big a hit as I can, spreading my arms wide, I blow the smoke up the Gods, asking their blessing on the soil, that it will give the plants what they need in the Spring time of their life. Then I fill all the pots or cups with soil, to about half an inch from the top.

Next I lay out my seed collection, then take another hit facing the south, asking the Gods to bless the seeds, that they grow big and strong during the Summer. I pick through the seeds, placing one {pointy end down} in each cup.

Then I take another hit facing the west, asking the Gods to bless the plants as they start to flower in the Fall. I cover the seeds with soil. I plant in trays, so I make sure each cup is full, then level the soil with my hand.

Lastly I take a hit facing the North, asking the Gods for a safe and fruitful harvest in the Winter. Then I soak the filled pots very well. {I use well water. Never tested it. I do like to put it in a pitcher and use a Styrofoam cup as a sprinkler} When using gallon pots, it takes a goodly amount of water to get it all wet. Don't be afraid to pour it on. After a couple of days, I use the hose and spray the trays down good. Once they come up and grow up above the cup, I top off with potting soil.

I have damaged too many sprouts with paper towels over the years. For me, planting right in the soil works best.

 

[Budley Doright]

^^^^ wow . That's a pretty spiritual way to plant a seed that normally falls to the ground in the fall and grows in the spring when it gets warm enough but not hating just in awe. Perhaps you need to add a couple of bare chested girls to the mix.

 

[Dr. Who]

Hey Budley Doright

That's what I think the general consensus would be.

That's what I have always done.

But there's a few people that are recommending H2o2 and Ph water.

I'm curious if that would be advantageous in increasing your chances of popping older stock.

Indefinately

" Let it be Green In 2016"

I added the pH as many feel they "need" to.
I used to a long time ago!
Now I simply add the H2o2 and use the mix....

 

[RM3]

Just popped several decades old beans, 70's Skunk X Afghan and some land race Vietnamese Dalat brought back by a soldier during the war. Got 2 of each goin now, of course I'm hopin for a boy and a girl

Thing is everyone needs to know that ALL seeds have an enzyme coating that when mixed with water tells the seed to germ. So when I want to pop old seeds I grab a $1 bag of whatever brand veggie seeds and soak the whole bag in an oz of water makin it an oz of water rich in that pop my beans enzyme. Then I soak my old beans in it over night and plant em

I can say it is not 100% with 50 year old beans, I actually put down 3 of each, got 2, all things considered not bad at all

 

[Budley Doright]

It's amazing that someone would have kept track of seeds after 40 some years, way better organized than I am lol.

 

[Budley Doright]

I added the pH as many feel they "need" to.
I used to a long time ago!
Now I simply add the H2o2 and use the mix....

I'm sure the PH'ing didn't hurt though.

 

[RM3]

It's amazing that someone would have kept track of seeds after 40 some years, way better organized than I am lol.

I have over a million seeds lol, so yeppers, they are organized

a pic of that Dalat
.

 

[Budley Doright]

^^^^ that's a lot of seeds, I have 11 lol.

 

[cindysid]

I just used regular tap water...didn't even adjust ph or decholorinate and my ph runs right at 8. It took 3 days for them to germinate.

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

Just popped several decades old beans, 70's Skunk X Afghan and some land race Vietnamese Dalat brought back by a soldier during the war. Got 2 of each goin now, of course I'm hopin for a boy and a girl

Thing is everyone needs to know that ALL seeds have an enzyme coating that when mixed with water tells the seed to germ. So when I want to pop old seeds I grab a $1 bag of whatever brand veggie seeds and soak the whole bag in an oz of water makin it an oz of water rich in that pop my beans enzyme. Then I soak my old beans in it over night and plant em

I can say it is not 100% with 50 year old beans, I actually put down 3 of each, got 2, all things considered not bad at all

Great info. I have some old seeds that went through a freezer failure. Will try this with some of them.

I planted a few F1's from my Sidetracked: strain from 1988. They all came up. Even the one that jumped off the tray.

 

[mauricem00]

Just popped several decades old beans, 70's Skunk X Afghan and some land race Vietnamese Dalat brought back by a soldier during the war. Got 2 of each goin now, of course I'm hopin for a boy and a girl

Thing is everyone needs to know that ALL seeds have an enzyme coating that when mixed with water tells the seed to germ. So when I want to pop old seeds I grab a $1 bag of whatever brand veggie seeds and soak the whole bag in an oz of water makin it an oz of water rich in that pop my beans enzyme. Then I soak my old beans in it over night and plant em

I can say it is not 100% with 50 year old beans, I actually put down 3 of each, got 2, all things considered not bad at all

thanks for the great tip. going to have to try that next time I germinate seeds.I use an overnight soak followed by paper towel germination and when the tap root get 1/4-3/8 inch long I stick the tap root down a hole in the soil with the hull sitting on the surface.but never thought of adding enzymes to help them germinate. some stores sell vegetable seeds (peppers,corn,beans,watermelons, ect) for a buck a pack.would these work to pretreat the water?

 

[potpimp]

Hey Pot Pimp,

This is how I have always have started my seeds in the past, with great success.

But they have always been fresh.

These seed are 5 or so years old.
So I was tossing up soaking them in some water before putting them on the propagation mat in there station.

Interesting hearing everyone's personal opinion.
Hope all the opinions are from experienced growers helping out the up and coming greenies.

Indefinately
" Let it be Green in 2016 "

I could be wrong but I think it would be the same for older seeds. Personally I don't think 5 years is "old" for seeds; scientists have successfully germinated seeds thousands of years old.

 

[Indefinately]

Just popped several decades old beans, 70's Skunk X Afghan and some land race Vietnamese Dalat brought back by a soldier during the war. Got 2 of each goin now, of course I'm hopin for a boy and a girl

Thing is everyone needs to know that ALL seeds have an enzyme coating that when mixed with water tells the seed to germ. So when I want to pop old seeds I grab a $1 bag of whatever brand veggie seeds and soak the whole bag in an oz of water makin it an oz of water rich in that pop my beans enzyme. Then I soak my old beans in it over night and plant em

I can say it is not 100% with 50 year old beans, I actually put down 3 of each, got 2, all things considered not bad at all

Thanks for that info,

Haven't read that anywhere else.
Very logical and smart.

Do you bother ph'ing the water or placing in a warm place?

So you plant straight after soaking?
Didn't bother with the whole paper towel trick even though the seeds were so old?

Did the soaking get the taproot to come out over night before you took them out of the water?

I'm amazed that we have stock from WW.
That's amazing!
We should be very thankfully for the few that saved these beans for the many!

Indefinately
"Let there be Green in 2016"

 

[RM3]

Do you bother ph'ing the water or placing in a warm place?

No, just tap water

So you plant straight after soaking?

yes, I simply lay the seeds on peat pods and let em do their thing

Didn't bother with the whole paper towel trick even though the seeds were so old?

Never, one of the most silly aspects of black market growng IMO

Did the soaking get the taproot to come out over night before you took them out of the water?

No, soakin em that long is not a good thing

 

[Budley Doright]

"Never, one of the most silly aspects of black market growng IMO"

As much as I don't like the extra step of handling it seems to work better for me than just using soil/starters. Could be wrong and perhaps a side by is in order. But to say it's silly is well, I guess expected.

 

[RM3]

"Never, one of the most silly aspects of black market growng IMO"

As much as I don't like the extra step of handling it seems to work better for me than just using soil/starters. Could be wrong and perhaps a side by is in order. But to say it's silly is well, I guess expected.

I did say In My Opinion I also very much disagree with the notion and use of fem'd seeds but that is just me. I do understand why these things happen, folks pay a high price for a seed they wanna make sure it pops. Whereas I wanna make sure the seed that pops is strong and has vigor, my method weeds out the weaklings which is important to my breeding program, if a bean can't stand on it's own it gets culled. Not only is it efective but also lots of fun to watch

 

[Budley Doright]

I did say In My Opinion I also very much disagree with the notion and use of fem'd seeds but that is just me. I do understand why these things happen, folks pay a high price for a seed they wanna make sure it pops. Whereas I wanna make sure the seed that pops is strong and has vigor, my method weeds out the weaklings which is important to my breeding program, if a bean can't stand on it's own it gets culled. Not only is it efective but also lots of fun to watch

Would not using enzymes from other seeds allow for weaker seeds to pop? And yes you did say IMO. Also are you saying that the paper towel method is better in the fact that it will allow seeds to germinate that otherwise would not if done the traditional way?