Quote:
Originally Posted by NewWestGardener
Would the slowly germinated seedlings/plants grow with similar vigour or it could be affected too?
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I've made some observations about this and the answer is Yes and No. Most are not affected at all, but a few seem to emerge and then run out of steam, so to speak. But that is true of all seeds. Some are just born and harvested with a handicap of not having all the things necessary to be vigorous and so forth.
A few years back, I began using lightly fertilized water for the whole process, from wetting the initial mix to transplants. I take an amount that would maybe cover a dime with one thin layer of crystals and add that to 1.5 gallons of water that has had time for the chlorine to outgas. My purpose is to give some extra nutrients to all the seeds, but especially those that may be handicapped. My thoughts are that while the Cotyledons contain the energy and chemicals to make a plant, some of those cotyledons are more than likely to be imperfect.
Now I'm not a scientist or anything. But this has worked well for me and I'm convinced that there is validity in my procedures. Results don't lie.
Back in 2009, I was successful in getting one seed which was harvested in 1987 to germinate. It produced one 7 oz tomato from which I saved seeds. From that I was then able to get thousands of seeds from the crop of 10-12 oz fruits the next season.
All that I wrote above is why I only take seeds from the very ripest fruits. That gives the tomatoes the best chance to give you their best. I've taken seeds from tomatoes in a lot of conditions from "First Blush" to "Half Rotten". Guess which group does the best.
Hope this helps. It all adds up to "it's okay to give the seeds a little help".