My seeds got to 100+ degrees. Are they ruined?

Qweniden · February 23, 2011

I did the paper-towel/sandwhich bag method today. I put the heating mats down and a towel over them. Then I put the rolled up bags on the towel. 4 hours later I felt them and they felt really hot so I took the temperature with a thermoter. Looks like it was around 100 degrees inside the bags for a number of hours. Will this hurt the seeds? Do I need to start over?

ireilly · February 23, 2011

100 degrees may be enough to make pollen sterile but I doubt it will hurt the seeds long term. Seeds are surviving-little-pieces of DNA. They are made to endure things the plants never would. Their dormancy codes allow them to last.

But unless you know the germination ratio for your particular batch of seed you won't know for sure how it affected these.

I had seeds in baggies in cans an inch away from a gas furnace flue and the cans were pretty warm to the touch, and they germinated fine.

Let them play out and see. If you want insurance start another batch.

I am doing succession planting myself this year. That's what you will be doing if the second batch germinates.

Walter

Qweniden · February 23, 2011

Thanks. What is succession planting?

ireilly · February 23, 2011

It's planting over distinct periods of time, such as every week, biweekly, monthly, etc. I like it because you don't bet the farm on one crop so to speak. Things will always die for various reasons and this gives you more than one chance to raise that plant you simply must have yield from.

Qweniden · February 23, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by ireilly

Things will always die for various reasons and this gives you more than one chance to raise that plant you simply must have yield from.

I think Im lucky living in Sacramento. The only bad things that happened to my plants last year was a bit of BER and evil tomato horn worms. Both of which I plan to mitigate this year.

Marko · February 24, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qweniden

Looks like it was around 100 degrees inside the bags for a number of hours. Will this hurt the seeds? Do I need to start over?

No, 100 degrees will not hurt them. I once cooked mine at 55c/131F and they were ok.

pinakbet · February 24, 2011

i have saved seeds from last year's summer and I just placed them on room temp that reaches 38C. They still germinated.

February 23, 2011	#1
Qweniden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Sacramento, California Posts: 267	My seeds got to 100+ degrees. Are they ruined? I did the paper-towel/sandwhich bag method today. I put the heating mats down and a towel over them. Then I put the rolled up bags on the towel. 4 hours later I felt them and they felt really hot so I took the temperature with a thermoter. Looks like it was around 100 degrees inside the bags for a number of hours. Will this hurt the seeds? Do I need to start over?

February 23, 2011	#2
ireilly Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Dallas Posts: 344	100 degrees may be enough to make pollen sterile but I doubt it will hurt the seeds long term. Seeds are surviving-little-pieces of DNA. They are made to endure things the plants never would. Their dormancy codes allow them to last. But unless you know the germination ratio for your particular batch of seed you won't know for sure how it affected these. I had seeds in baggies in cans an inch away from a gas furnace flue and the cans were pretty warm to the touch, and they germinated fine. Let them play out and see. If you want insurance start another batch. I am doing succession planting myself this year. That's what you will be doing if the second batch germinates. Walter

February 24, 2011	#7
pinakbet Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Pearl of the Orient Posts: 333	i have saved seeds from last year's summer and I just placed them on room temp that reaches 38C. They still germinated.