Quote:
Originally Posted by KarenO
So happy! 15 years ago I was given a few seeds of a really great tomato. I have grown it out a number of times and have much fresher seeds but I had four of the original ones left and decided to see if they would germinate.
Paper towel soaked in dilute (1%) food grade hydrogen peroxide, placed in a baggie and kept warm. 3 days later, 3 out of 4 seeds showing a radicle!
Now to see if they grow well for me. I will pot them up today.
Zena's gift, a tomato that keeps on giving.
H2O2 is unstable and easily degrades producing water and oxygen. I believe the enhanced oxygen environment aids in germination along with the moisture and warmth.
KarenO  |
My Anna Russian seeds this year were marked 2003. The plants sprouted about the same time (with the same treatment) as new Anna Banana Russian seeds. A friend who grows super old seeds a lot gave them to me with confidence that they would germinate. I planted them in worm castings with a little peat moss in an unheated greenhouse, in April. I guess I did zap them with a Z4EX before planting, though (I did that with all gifted and traded seeds that I planted this year), but my friend's seeds tend to germinate well.