Seed Viability

ZenWolf

Well-Known Member
How long would seeds possibly be viable for if they've been kept in sealed plastic, 70 - 80 degrees F on average (indoors). Any guesses? Years I would assume but I've no first hand experience. Anyone ever try to germinate seeds that were 5+ years old?
 

CCGNZ

Well-Known Member
You need to get a small tupperware container or a pill bottle put seeds in a sm jewelry bag then into either container with a few grains of rice or a sm pack of silica used in shipping then pop it into the crisper section of fridge. I've germed 10yr old seeds using this method.ccguns
 

ZenWolf

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the replies. Guess I'll find out if they're still viable but sounds like a chance they are.
 

drsaltzman

Well-Known Member
I just germed room temp seeds from 2017. All popped.
Mine anyway. The pack I had from Archive Seeds only popped 2 out of 10.
So it could be strain/seed dependent. Or producer. Can't believe a seed company has worse germination rates than I do.
But yeah, seeds are hearty little things. They last a long time.
 

ComfortCreator

Well-Known Member
Viability goes down year by year, but how viable they were to begin with and how they are stored matters a lot. I would be comfortable growing 5 year old seeds stored well. The only difference would be I would sow extras to account for lower % of germination.
 

ZenWolf

Well-Known Member
Good luck, I would run them soon if they were stored warm they will have a shorter shelf life. Hope they pop..
It's exciting to have found them. I thought they had gotten lost in a hurricane that destroyed my home a number of years ago. Then a few days ago I was going through some stuff in boxes and found them tucked away in an unexpected place within some items that had ended up in a box at some point.

I'd be happy even if one of them pops given that I had written them off as lost by many years.
 

CCGNZ

Well-Known Member
I'm telling you I was more impressed w/bag weed seeds i collected when I was a kid. Nice big plump striped seeds that popped out of the ground with serious vigor. Now you pay big$ for these designer polyhybrids and have to nurse and babysit the bitches not to mention how tiny and colorless most of them are.ccguns
 

ZenWolf

Well-Known Member
I'm telling you I was more impressed w/bag weed seeds i collected when I was a kid. Nice big plump striped seeds that popped out of the ground with serious vigor. Now you pay big$ for these designer polyhybrids and have to nurse and babysit the bitches not to mention how tiny and colorless most of them are.ccguns
Hah, kind of funny but in my youth we'd smoke cheap seeded cannabis (all we could get at the time) that was probably smuggled across the border in a big dried out compressed bale. But amazingly, even after burning the odd seed or two in the bowl, digging them out, and just chucking them in the yard: many would still sprout and start growing the next Spring without skipping a beat.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
I have number of seeds from the mid 90's that just rolled around inside my tackle box until I cleaned them out a few years ago. Drop 2 every outdoors since. No duds. I have no idea why or how. And defies my former understandings. I water germ with a spritz of H2O2 before soaking being my only change in method.
 

CCGNZ

Well-Known Member
Yeah' I do someH2O2 myself but I remember just poking the bag weed seeds in the ground and seeing them explode out of the ground with 2 big fat 1st true leaves the final product was'nt as good but damn they were vigorous. I'm beginning to think that all the breeding has weakened this early stage of cannabis.
 

ZenWolf

Well-Known Member
Yeah' I do someH2O2 myself but I remember just poking the bag weed seeds in the ground and seeing them explode out of the ground with 2 big fat 1st true leaves the final product was'nt as good but damn they were vigorous. I'm beginning to think that all the breeding has weakened this early stage of cannabis.
Makes me wonder what the impact of ethylene inhibition commercial/bulk production of feminized seeds is for either sale or use in breeding. Maybe not so much the impact on genetics but on actual seed formation itself when used.

My experience with commercial strains has all been limited to purchased feminized seeds. Which in many cases were rather pathetically small/bland compared to old bag seed seeds from back in the day.
 

Rozgreenburn

Well-Known Member
Makes me wonder what the impact of ethylene inhibition commercial/bulk production of feminized seeds is for either sale or use in breeding. Maybe not so much the impact on genetics but on actual seed formation itself when used.

My experience with commercial strains has all been limited to purchased feminized seeds. Which in many cases were rather pathetically small/bland compared to old bag seed seeds from back in the day.
From time to time I pollinate a very special find for seeds and fine tuning. I don't know what gives, but my seeds are always full sized. WTF is it they do which makes them small? Give a shout if you succeed:blsmoke:...
 

Craigson

Well-Known Member
From time to time I pollinate a very special find for seeds and fine tuning. I don't know what gives, but my seeds are always full sized. WTF is it they do which makes them small? Give a shout if you succeed:blsmoke:...
Its strain dependant. Bract size typically dictates seed size
 

radiant Rudy

Well-Known Member
Nice! I just started soaking a couple of them labeled as Sugar Punch. The other ones are labeled Herijuana, Killing Fields, and Sannie's Jack.
Some of the sugar punch beans were really nice. I grew that strain a few times. Nice plant, full size, good yielder, decent potency. Nice sweetness in flavor.
 
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