Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Some data on pepper seed starting success vs seed age

Fusion_power · February 13, 2006

I've had extremely good results from cutting the placenta out of the pepper with the seed still adhering and drying the entire thing for a few days, then just toss it in a plastic bag. When I need seed, I rub a few off the core and plant them. Seed up to 3 years old have given 95% germination where other seed I had stored by first rubbing them off the core would barely germinate 50%. I may be wrong but I think its easy to over dry pepper seed. This kills the embryo and prevents germination. Maybe leaving the seed on the core is balancing the moisture out a bit better for the seed to survive.

Fusion

February 13, 2006	#6
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	I've had extremely good results from cutting the placenta out of the pepper with the seed still adhering and drying the entire thing for a few days, then just toss it in a plastic bag. When I need seed, I rub a few off the core and plant them. Seed up to 3 years old have given 95% germination where other seed I had stored by first rubbing them off the core would barely germinate 50%. I may be wrong but I think its easy to over dry pepper seed. This kills the embryo and prevents germination. Maybe leaving the seed on the core is balancing the moisture out a bit better for the seed to survive. Fusion