De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage?

**Mischka** · January 31, 2006

This is a new one on me.

On the top of each page in the 06 Abundant Life Seed catalog, they placed clever little tips for the home gardener. Very thoughtful.

Page 36 reads "De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage."

I know commercial seed producers have a way to de-fuzz their seeds, but I was always under the impression they did this so that the seeds would pass through their counting and packaging machines without sticking to one another.

So, does leaving the fuzz on our home saved seeds shorten their viability timespan?

How would a home gardener remove the fuzz?

I read a recent GW post where someone asked what varieties have fuzzy seeds...no mention of losing viability over time in the followup posts.

I've been saving seed for 7 years now; I heat seal them in foil-barrier packets after adding a desiccant capsule in with them.

Perhaps someone here might know more about this?

- Mischka

January 31, 2006	#1
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage? This is a new one on me. On the top of each page in the 06 Abundant Life Seed catalog, they placed clever little tips for the home gardener. Very thoughtful. Page 36 reads "De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage." I know commercial seed producers have a way to de-fuzz their seeds, but I was always under the impression they did this so that the seeds would pass through their counting and packaging machines without sticking to one another. So, does leaving the fuzz on our home saved seeds shorten their viability timespan? How would a home gardener remove the fuzz? I read a recent GW post where someone asked what varieties have fuzzy seeds...no mention of losing viability over time in the followup posts. I've been saving seed for 7 years now; I heat seal them in foil-barrier packets after adding a desiccant capsule in with them. Perhaps someone here might know more about this? - Mischka