Popping 15 year old seeds

So… I moved to my new house a little over a year ago. While packing up to move, I found an old pill bottle full to the brim with seeds I had kept from killer bags I bought from 1999-2003 ish. All commercial stuff but a very large assortment of random backyard boogie strains from Appalachia as well as Mexico and others… I used to love that danky Kentucky hill weed. Well now that medical is beginning here in OK, I decided just to see if any of them would pop… Well they are. Check out the pic.

So I am gonna grow some of these babies and see what pops out!!!

17 Likes

Another one!!!

11 Likes

Hola Stus

am doing the same this winter
trying to revive some old seeds
on top of my usual seeds making

Bare

7 Likes

I have moved this into a grow journal guys!!! Gonna see if I can get it to go til the end!! Wonder what the heck is gonna pop

1 Like

Hola Gang

It all start when I was offer a bag of Masterkush

pre-2000 and ask to revive and produce seeds

if possible.

I have some GA3 I mix it to 200ppm to start with

I soak my seeds in 3% peroxide from 5 min to over nite (just forgot them)

then try soak in GA3 over nite all seed by then usually have

sink to the bottom.

None of the MasterKush ever grow so far after 2-3 weeks

did the same with some Siberian frost seed those were

from 2005 fairly young seed. All pop after 4 to 7 days

they got elongated I kept them in a dome (mistake) they

died over a w-e too much humidity and they got damp-off

so no dome after they are transplant and add good ventilation.

I want to take a minute to say that it is very depressing to attempt

to revive old seeds its not for everyone, I got a severe few days

of depression after the death of the Siberian . I am putting this

experiment to the side till I have a few of my own plant growing

so it wont be so depressing.

Lesson learn: GA3 50ppm is plenty, when transplante no dome

and add air circulation in the room and make sure to have enough

cannabis to go tru the depression.

Enjoy

Bare

10 Likes

This was very informative, i got some GA3 and just followed your method to germinate some seeds.

They aren’t that old but weren’t stored properly and spent 2 summers and 2 winters out of the fridge so having a lot of trouble germinating.

Do you soak your seeds in neat hydrogen peroxide?

Because I wanted to follow your method to a T so I did and 2 of the seeds exploded (as in the shell cracked open with a loud pop) after about 45 minutes soak.

Anyway they are now soaking in a 50ppm GA3 solution as per your direction and tomorrow will move them to a paper towel and carry on as I usually do. :crossed_fingers:

1 Like

Hola @Hempire420

I used very small bottle to soak
For about a teaspoon of water
I used 1/8 teaspoon of peroxide

Peroxide is 3% to start with.

Hope that help

Bare

2 Likes

Thanks for the clarifying that @Barefrog

I soaked mine in 2ml vials, but I used undiluted 3% H2O2. I hope it wasn’t too aggressive to the seeds.

Time will tell :slight_smile:

1 Like

Please let us know how they do, if you don’t mind; I’m interested in finding a GA3 experiment where things go well, frankly. :stuck_out_tongue: Everything I’ve read implies that if it’s a high enough concentration to get the seed started when it wouldn’t otherwise, it’s high enough to send the seedling to the moon and then stretch too far and collapse. I don’t suppose you started any others with lower concentrations of GA3?

3 Likes

No worries @Cormoran I will post my results.

Trust me I want nothing more than to show you one :slight_smile:

I haven’t, this is my 1st interaction with GA3.

I’ve read tutorials and watched videos on the subject and everywhere they recommend concentrations of 100ppm and upwards, and you’re right the result is very stretchy plants, which is expected anyway as that’s exactly what this hormone is used for.

But I value @Barefrog 's opinion and if he says 50ppm is enough I’m going with it.

3 Likes

Hola Gang

Its a 2 value problem
Concentration of GA3
and time soak.

At 100ppm it does rocket
at 50ppm its a bit better
You will have to do testing
on the how long to soak.

Also GA3 may work on the genetic
if spray on the plant “Be carefull”

Experiment and Enjoy

Bare

3 Likes

I have done 20 years stored in favourable conditions %100 germination

3 Likes

I usually soak for 24h, but with the hormone the plan is soon as I see any sign of a taproot rinse the seed in distilled water and transfer to the paper towel.

My seeds aren’t even that old, the problems I’m having with germination were self inflicted by not storing them properly.

I’m just trying to salvage the ones I still have to make new seeds. Hopefully GA3 will help me do that.

1 Like

15-20+ year old seeds if stored properly will be viable…that’s how old my seeds are.

2 Likes

I soak with hydrogen peroxide and a pinch of kelp extract - usually good results !

2 Likes