Evil Genius Posted March 31, 2009 Hi Guys! I know that some of you collect seeds! How do you do it and which families do you collect! And i´m also interested how you manage to keep them alive? Some of them dont have a long viability! Is it even possible to colelct seeds like stamps and to grow them a few years later as soon as you want to! Which families just cant be kept for a long time and which ones stay viable for years? I know that Acacia stays viable for years and that Plants like Kratom just germinate for a few months. But it shard to gain information about other seeds! How can i know which seeds have to be sown out immedietly? I have seeds of rare edibles/tropicals that are not very known but i usually dont have the time to plant them all! How can i know which ones to plant first? bye Eg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kadakuda Posted March 31, 2009 this is a large topic, and depends completely on species. basically there are 2 types of seeds (and many intermediates), when it comes to storage. orthodox, which can be dried (often frozen) of XX amount of time, usually longer periods. Recalcitrant seeds are seeds that don't take cold or drying, and don't last very long as a result. a lot of the time orthodox seeds are the kinds that have some kind of limiting factors requiring their longer storage. cold winters, dry seasons and such. Recalcitrant seeds tend to be more common in tropical plants, probably because once they drop they can grow and time is of the essence. but that is just very basic with many flaws. there are lists of plants, but usually you need to research specific plants to find out some ethno examples would be: orthodox datura desmanthus cacti morning glories wormwood henbane belladona betel nut poppies catnip broom marijuana Leonoits and Leonurus nicotiana some Recalcitrant seed plants are psychotria caapi yopo coca khat iboga ( i think, all old seeds i tried were dry and dead) many tropical fruits such as mango miracle fruit cherimoya (can last a little while) wax apple durian etc good reading http://www.rngr.net/Publications/ttsm/ch4/file Handbook of seed physiology By Roberto L. Benech-Arnold, Rodolfo A. Sánchez (google books may have some pages?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Hi Kadakuda! Thats exactly what i was looking for! Thanks heaps! When i look at that Recalcitrant list, i see some seeds that i have already stored for too long. Yopo, parapitadenia, fruits, etc. But its good that i know which ones i have to germinate first! Maybe some of them are still viable! Do you know how long Epehdra seeds are viable? And Lithops or similar succulents? bye Eg Edited March 31, 2009 by Evil Genius Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted March 31, 2009 very good thread, maybe we can try to add aswell information on how long the germination process will take. ephedra seeds are good for several years if stored in the fridge, same goes for hemp seeds. but if you store them at room temperature (worse even if you leave them exposed to sunlight, say next to a window)they might last only 18 months or so. some seeds benefit from temperature fluctuations and some from changes of wet to dry and repeat, this mechanism save guards some seeds from germinating at the wrong time. i think ephedra is one of those seeds. another often mentioned thing, worth adding to this topic is the "floating seeds, no good" trick. just put your seeds in a jar of hand warm water, and let them soak for a few minutes or up to hours, than inspect what happend, some seeds are floating, and are regarded as non viable, all the ones which sunk to the bottom, are hoped to be still viable and good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Naycha Posted April 1, 2009 another often mentioned thing, worth adding to this topic is the "floating seeds, no good" trick.just put your seeds in a jar of hand warm water, and let them soak for a few minutes or up to hours, than inspect what happend, some seeds are floating, and are regarded as non viable, all the ones which sunk to the bottom, are hoped to be still viable and good. Are you sure this info is correct? I germinate many of my seeds (especially cannabis), by floating them in a glass of water. A few days later the tap root emerges and is then planted. I just wouldn't want anyone throwing out viable seed because it floats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakazoid Posted April 1, 2009 on seeds floating e.t.c....hop seeds (humulus) are in fact the opposite, i.e. the floaty ones are the viables and sinkers are stinkers thats one example of an exception to that rule off the top o me head but yeah..when it comes to seeds i guess the same is true of the plant or rather you've got to get to know each one through firsthand experience...that and posting questions in plant forums always helps too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Freaky Chicken Posted April 9, 2009 As a general rule recalcitrant seeds typically come from warm wet environments such as rainforests. There are exceptions of course as always. Most seeds will have a fairly good shelf life if you collected the seeds and store in a cool dark place. It really depends on the individual plant in question and their dormancy mechanisms as to the best methods. For orthodox seeds it is a good idea to make sure that the seeds are clean and dry and separated from seed pods or fruits before storage as these can hold insects or moulds that can damage seeds thus reducing viability. The seed floating test works for some seeds but not all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kadakuda Posted April 9, 2009 one thing i notice with floating, is often air gets caught in them, causing them to float. some seeds are just natural floaters (many trees, especially coastal trees). EG a note on yopo, at least that i have seen, is they are a little more intermediate. they seem to die when totally dry, but drying may take up to a year. after a year i have yet to get a single seed to germinate, and i have sown hundreds and hundreds of them... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
