tripsis Posted March 25, 2011 (edited) I have read that activated charcoal can be used to help old seed germinate, although have not read about the supposed mechanism behind this. GA3 is often used to break seed dormancy and is known to work. Does anyone know which would be better for use on old seed? Edited March 25, 2011 by tripsis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poisonshroom Posted March 25, 2011 Thats really interesting - Iv never hear of that... where did you read that? It would be good if someone here knew or proposed a mechanism for how that would work. As for whether it actually works I dont know, Id also like to hear more about this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted March 25, 2011 I can't actually recall and after looking into it, it seems that it wouldn't actually work. But I have read it somewhere, on a forum at some point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poisonshroom Posted March 25, 2011 Ahh fair enough. Might be worth testing though - maybe it has something to do with activated charcoal absorbing something from the seeds (although that would be mainly for seeds with inbuilt germination inhibitors rather than just old seed) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shortly Posted March 25, 2011 For whats its worth i've had better success (note better but not good) by soaking the old seed in seaweed tea & a pinch of epsom saltz. The GA3 only came into its own with fresh but recalcitrant seed like opuntia's & foxtails. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted March 25, 2011 (edited) Epsom salts you say. Where do you get them? I have some seaweed fermenting in my yard as we speak. It's creating a nice, dark tea. Would the salt from the seaweed pose a problem though? Edit: typos Edited March 25, 2011 by tripsis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poisonshroom Posted March 25, 2011 You can get epsom salts (bath salts) from the supermarket. Its usually with salt and the other spices. or you can get it from bunnings, but its sold as magnesium sulfate Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gecko Posted March 25, 2011 very dilute Potassium nitrate can help too. I heard (or read?) many years ago that is can help some dry climate seeds. also chile seeds esp. some of the smaller wild chiles. I often use dilute seaweed extract to soak seed before sowing. Allows them imbibe a good range of minerals and organic compounds (in case some are lacking in the soil) to get them off to a flying start Dont know what the activated carbon would do, but I certainly couldn't hurt. i've heard of it being used in agar formulations intended for germinating mushroom spores (Cantharellus spp?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poisonshroom Posted March 25, 2011 Archea (sp?) suggested the potassium nitrate (stump killer) the other day in my thread about germinating opuntia seeds. Definitely sounds interesting. I often include seasol in my water that i soak seeds in - not sure if it improves germination, but it cant be bad (unless there are bad bacteria in there) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
occidentalis Posted March 25, 2011 I imagine that the activated charcoal might be useful with seeds that contain chemical germination inhibitors as it would absorb them from the seed. however that is a different dormancy mechanism than GA3 works with I would go with the GA3 as it is a much more general treatment for recalcitrant or poorly viable seed use in low concentration. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
