Seeds saved via fermenting are almost black

sirtanon · May 25, 2018

Well, the heat is getting up there in Phoenix, and most of my plants are dying off, so I've started saving seeds from a couple of my varieties using the fermentation method.

For the variety I call 'Zelinda's Pear' - A very nice pinkish piriform variety I grew from seeds I kept from a tomato I brought back from Australia - I squeezed a couple inedible tomatoes into a small container and left them to ferment for a few days, but when I got back to them, they've all gone very dark, almost black.

Has anyone else experienced this? I've never had this happen before, so I'm not sure what the impact is going to be. Are the seeds ruined?

KarenO · May 25, 2018

They look Rotten unfortunately. You can try to germinate a few but I think it is doubtful they will grow
KarenO

sirtanon · May 25, 2018

Yeah that was my concern.. I've never seen fermenting seeds take this kind of turn before. I do plan to plant a few of them this weekend to see if I get germination, and I'm also going to start a second batch of seeds fermenting tonight. I have, at best, 2 more seeds of this variety left over from my initial collection, so I absolutely cannot risk not getting a new good batch saved.

**carolyn137** · May 25, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirtanon

Well, the heat is getting up there in Phoenix, and most of my plants are dying off, so I've started saving seeds from a couple of my varieties using the fermentation method.

For the variety I call 'Zelinda's Pear' - A very nice pinkish piriform variety I grew from seeds I kept from a tomato I brought back from Australia - I squeezed a couple inedible tomatoes into a small container and left them to ferment for a few days, but when I got back to them, they've all gone very dark, almost black.

Has anyone else experienced this? I've never had this happen before, so I'm not sure what the impact is going to be. Are the seeds ruined?

Yes I have and yes the seeds are no good at all if they are almost black.

When fermenting you never want to let the container get dry,but sometimes it can't be helped,I know that, but rarely does it happen.

One time I had set up some fermentations, "stuff' happened and I couldn't continue so gave those containers to someone else to finish them off if you will.

Well she did finish them off as in RIP.

I used one pint plastic deli containers when doing fermentations, so there was lots of debris in there and liquid as well and once the fermentations started, which I could see with bubbles clinging to the inside of the plastic, and that mold layer had formed on top,I just let them go until there were no more bubbles.

But yes,there were times when someone had sent me as few as 3-5 seeds and so I had to set them up in a very small container, and watch them very carefully to be sure they didn't dry down.

If seeds turn a dark brown but not black, there's still hope.I know since I've been able to"lazarize", that is bring them back from being dead a few times.

Carolyn

Nan_PA_6b · May 26, 2018

You could take a few of your next batch and just wash them in Oxi-Clean, rubbing them gently on a strainer to rub off the gel. Those ought to be viable. You might not prefer that method, but you'll end up with living seeds.Then ferment the rest as usual. If you don't have successful fermentation you'll still have a few viable.

Also, do test your black seeds in case there's some small % of germination.

Nan

**carolyn137** · May 26, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

You could take a few of your next batch and just wash them in Oxi-Clean, rubbing them gently on a strainer to rub off the gel. Those ought to be viable. You might not prefer that method, but you'll end up with living seeds.Then ferment the rest as usual. If you don't have successful fermentation you'll still have a few viable.

Also, do test your black seeds in case there's some small % of germination.

Nan

Nan, Oxi-clean and Comet and any other methods using oxidative processes can only be used to get any surface tomato pathogens off the seed surface, hopefully, so I don't see how they could help do anything to the interior of a seed, as in the embryo, as related to seed viability..

Carolyn

Nan_PA_6b · May 26, 2018

That's right, they won't turn the seeds black like the OP's fermenting did.

Nan

JRinPA · May 28, 2018

Had that happen the first or second time I fermented seeds, but not since. Those first times I left them outside and they flash dried in the heat...by flash I mean sometime between days 4 and 8, LOL. They kept drying up and I kept adding water, right up until I forgot about them.

I have since learned that 2-3 days is all that should be needed if done properly on our kitchen windowsill, the smell is not an issue, and they all seem to clean up nicely and sprout just fine. My big challenge is letting them dry on unwaxed paper plates without flipping them, mixing them, blowing them off with a fan, or outright losing them, possibly to canine paper fetish.

May 25, 2018	#1
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	Seeds saved via fermenting are almost black Well, the heat is getting up there in Phoenix, and most of my plants are dying off, so I've started saving seeds from a couple of my varieties using the fermentation method. For the variety I call 'Zelinda's Pear' - A very nice pinkish piriform variety I grew from seeds I kept from a tomato I brought back from Australia - I squeezed a couple inedible tomatoes into a small container and left them to ferment for a few days, but when I got back to them, they've all gone very dark, almost black. Has anyone else experienced this? I've never had this happen before, so I'm not sure what the impact is going to be. Are the seeds ruined? __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

May 25, 2018	#3
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	Yeah that was my concern.. I've never seen fermenting seeds take this kind of turn before. I do plan to plant a few of them this weekend to see if I get germination, and I'm also going to start a second batch of seeds fermenting tonight. I have, at best, 2 more seeds of this variety left over from my initial collection, so I absolutely cannot risk not getting a new good batch saved. __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

May 25, 2018	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,928	They look Rotten unfortunately. You can try to germinate a few but I think it is doubtful they will grow KarenO

May 26, 2018	#5
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	You could take a few of your next batch and just wash them in Oxi-Clean, rubbing them gently on a strainer to rub off the gel. Those ought to be viable. You might not prefer that method, but you'll end up with living seeds.Then ferment the rest as usual. If you don't have successful fermentation you'll still have a few viable. Also, do test your black seeds in case there's some small % of germination. Nan

May 28, 2018	#8
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 964	Had that happen the first or second time I fermented seeds, but not since. Those first times I left them outside and they flash dried in the heat...by flash I mean sometime between days 4 and 8, LOL. They kept drying up and I kept adding water, right up until I forgot about them. I have since learned that 2-3 days is all that should be needed if done properly on our kitchen windowsill, the smell is not an issue, and they all seem to clean up nicely and sprout just fine. My big challenge is letting them dry on unwaxed paper plates without flipping them, mixing them, blowing them off with a fan, or outright losing them, possibly to canine paper fetish.