Beans from 1985

GrandfatherRat

Active Member
A bro called me today with the news he'd rediscovered his seed stash, lost since his last house move ages ago. They were in a ziplock bag, stuffed into a bin full of camping clothing, and left in a closet for fifteen years. During the fifteen years before that they had stable storage conditions in two homes. This friend is a particular dude-- he's a collector, and really careful about saving stuff. He's also been a stoner for almost 35 years. During 85-87' (he's dead sure on the time period), he saved and collected seeds from any good pot he had. He didn't save everything-- only seeds from weed that he considered worth keeping. He was pretty well connected at the time.

It's just a big loose pile. This is all East coast seed, from northern PA, most likely coming from or through New York. Some high grade brickweed, some green and red buds. At the time, strain names weren't such a thing. My bro claims he's sure of two strains being present-- Acapulco Gold, and Bork. He recalled the Acapulco Gold being brickweed, which may offer a clue-- but of course we have no real idea what he was buying. I could find no solid info on the Bork strain. Below is a shot of the stash; we spilled them onto a table and I did a sample count of 100, then used their measured area to get an estimated count-- approximately 1000 seeds.

Here's the plan. I will count, then divide seeds up into rough sorted batches by size and color. These will be cataloged in groups, with the hope we may be able to predict grow outcomes from similar looking seeds (far fetched, I know). We will germinate in small groups until we find conditions that yield the best success rates.

It has been suggested to me to put seeds into a fridge for a couple of weeks, to wake them. I have also been told to expect long times for some seeds to pop, and to let them go as long as possible before giving up. I have a large greenhouse set up for growing, as well as a winter indoor setup; this will provide the base of operations to attempt germination, grow out winners, take clones of every plant, and preserve genetics. I'm in a legal state, and deeply connected to the industry, with access to advice from top growers. Even so, this is an unusual opportunity, and I hope to take full advantage of it.

I would love community input on my plan, particularly from folks with direct experience;

What methods might be best for germinating 31 year old seeds? Water soak, fridge, freezer? Heat mat?

Any ideas on germination rates? What size batches should I run at a time?

What strains and traits should I look for in 'heirloom' cannabis? Does any 30 year old plant have potential value as a more pure connection to earlier lines?

I'm open to general input, and suggestions on managing the scale of this process, tracking every clone, logging traits, photo-records, etc.

 

Budget Buds

Well-Known Member
Dont think that some of them wont germinate if they were stored properly, After my uncle was killed we found seeds from when he was in the nam , dated 68-70 , We just stuck them in wet soil and some of them did sprout. I would just stick em in soil and see what happens.
 

GrandfatherRat

Active Member
Dont think that some of them wont germinate if they were stored properly, After my uncle was killed we found seeds from when he was in the nam , dated 68-70 , We just stuck them in wet soil and some of them did sprout. I would just stick em in soil and see what happens.
This is good news! I was expecting low germ rates, but I remain hopeful.
 

Bareback

Well-Known Member
My mom used to talk about Acapulco gold , from the late 60s early 70s , she always told me and my brothers that the shit we was smoking was shit weed in comparison. I wish you all the best in success. Smoke a dubie for mom.
 

Budget Buds

Well-Known Member
why did your uncle get killed
a dope addict killed him for a couple grand in his wallet. The kid was supposed to be "family" , a 19 year old punk who needed a needle full and i guess saw it as the only way to get it, Fucked up part is he only got to spend about 100 bucks of the cash before the state police nabbed him nodded out in the parking lot of a kmart. now he is doing life at 19 years old.
 
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Budget Buds

Well-Known Member
Also you guys shouldn't germinate in paper towels if you can help it, Yes it works and I do it from time to time too with proven genetics and fresh seeds but when you do it if you dont get a chance to plant it immediately after the tap root comes out , you can damage the tiny little root hairs on the root and kill the seedling. The best way to go is to place it in water or soil .
 

Igotthe6

Well-Known Member
I think if you do it right,the number that germ will surprise you.The seeds are old,I would scuff the seam with a match book to make it easier for any surviving embryos to survive.Soak in water for 24 hours and put 1/4 below soil line.Use tap to soak,it will kill pathogens. I sprouted a handful of Mex. red hair from 78. 80% where viable.
 

GrandfatherRat

Active Member
My mom used to talk about Acapulco gold , from the late 60s early 70s , she always told me and my brothers that the shit we was smoking was shit weed in comparison. I wish you all the best in success. Smoke a dubie for mom.
I'm really trying not to get excited about the chances for this one...

Your mother had good taste-- the strain is supposedly a potent monster. I would be so stoked to find a seed with those genetics.
 

GrandfatherRat

Active Member
I think if you do it right,the number that germ will surprise you.The seeds are old,I would scuff the seam with a match book to make it easier for any surviving embryos to survive.Soak in water for 24 hours and put 1/4 below soil line.Use tap to soak,it will kill pathogens. I sprouted a handful of Mex. red hair from 78. 80% where viable.
Great info, and just the feedback I was looking for! This is the second suggestion I have heard about scoring the seeds with sandpaper / abrasive. So the aim is to scuff the seam of the seed, to help open it up? Very clever.
 
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