I’m just looking for a few good labs in the USA that specialize in seed germination using a sterile lab, including a flow hood with the shucked seed embryos in Agar… I have 62 seeds of 5 lines made between 1986 and 1993 to get to. They need to be able to safely ship the seedlings back after also. Good price point and customer service is a plus. Hahahaha
I may just pop the 20X 1993 seeds myself actually. I’ve not decided for sure. Not much luck with 22yrs or older, personally.
Any suggestions? Who do you guys use. I’m not sure if we are allowed non supported business links. Hmm
Thanks
What have you tried using? Or have you not even tried yet?
If they are that old, you might hold onto them a bit longer… There are chemicals out there that can wake seeds up, so to speak. Like giberillic and fulvic acid.
Never heard of actually sending them out to a lab, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a niche market for it.
Been considering just picking something like this up and seeing what happens:
I burned through about 50 of them six months ago and didn’t get a single tap root so I pulled back. Probably got a hundred left from the 2000-2010 era.
I don’t know about businesses doing seed embryo rescue that would ship seedlings back. There are a few techniques that work pretty well with older seed, though. I went from getting 5% to 100% with one or two modifications to my usual routine.
Have you tried starting any?
Do you have enough to be able attempt something at home?
How were they stored?
I’ve tweaked a few different methods to my desires. Now mostly, I pop (up to) 9 yr old seeds.
Well stored seeds of that age have a nearly 100% germ. rate if stored well.
I start by “hand cracking” each seed using my dominant hand’s thumb and forefinger. I just line up the seed lengthwise between my finger and thumb. I make sure to put the “seam” of the seed lengthwise on the pad of my thumb. Otherwise the seeds crush and the seed embryo is damaged.
I start with a h202 bath for a bit to sterilize. And use gloves in a somewhat clean area.
I squeeze my thumb/finger slowly together with increasing pressure until I hear/feel a crack “sound.” The seed hull opens slightly at both ends of the seed 's ridge, with no damage to the embryo inside. That is what I want.
If you do this I suggest the use of plyers or your teeth to crack them. I don’t know anyone else that uses their finger. I have a kung-fu grip. Lol
If they are under 9 years I just put them in a warm spot inside. And (preferably) in a moist single layer double folded paper towels, I spritz the paper towel 1st. with the luke warm tap water with a touch of hormex or another similar hormones, etc. and put the folded paper towels in labeled freezer bags. They all pop, pretty much.
For 9yr seed to 21yr old seed I’ve tried this somewhat successfully. Less so, the older they are.
The older seeds I put into another small sterilized container full of tap water (including Chloronine_Chlorine) with a specific amount of hormex and and a touch of kelp meal. I just let it stay, covered on my tall upright meat freezer. It’s nice and warm, but not too hot (even in the winter) Then I let them sit overnight. I don’t bubble them anymore though. Which is why they only get left there for around 8 hours. If I had a trusted source of really nice EWC, I would use that (ammended for more aeration) moistened with hormex added tap water and plant the seed. Instead I just plant them a bit deep while trying to get the correct orientation. (Which is why they are set a bit deeper) They don’t have a rootlet out yet. The older they are, the longer they can take, and there are weird leaf and/or stem mutations and lower growth sometimes. Maybe due to low hormone levels, maybe?
Then I just baby them without overwatering. With low 80s warmth letting them grow.
I haven’t tried any seed over 15 years since mid 2021. I got several 15 yr old seeds growing and 1 18 yr old seed/4 seeds mid 2021. But I like to pop old bag seeds regularly just for fun, too.
Last few runs I popped 9 yr old or less aged seeds. Just rhe 1st couple steps and right into a commercial seed starting medium with some oven sterilized chicken/goat compost from last year. That last part is my secret. ROFL
The seeds I was speaking of are stored at 42°F and dry.
What I was going to try is called a Seed Germination bomb. Warm DMSO/water bubbling (airstone) with hormones (they used Superthrive) in a small pressurized container. …saw that since '16 and I gotta try that also.
There are also people who cut the seam off the seed or remove the seed embryo. My sausage fingers can’t seem to operate the tiny tools necesarry without embryonic damage.
The seed cracking negates most of the use of the DMSO in the germ. bomb. And the extra time banging around if I was using an airstone in rhe other water with the “newer” seed.
Yeah, GA3, I have heard of. I can’t remember if I ever tried it. I have had a lot of fails over these years, too, though. It’s fun to try new things with old bag seeds.
That listed info on the paper (is it😂) is fantastic, dude. Thanks! I will surely check it out in more detail as I can.
What is the recipe behind this chart - are you supposed to pick one from each category, mix em up and blast the seeds? Or is it more of a Pokéman approach, collect em all for much success
My most intensive approach was pre-cracking then soaking with h2o2, but had no success
That may have been due mostly to improper storage from when I first started growing
That was on 9 year old seeds that sat in a drawer (still in their packs), but no temp control
Still have them, but might look for an experienced “reviver” here on og to save these old Sannies genetics
Hey Agreenpassion, I believe stoneguru was posting up about working with a fairly new place, doing just that, sending them old seeds, and getting back tissue cultures, maybe.
I believe it was in his Alpine thread at BB, possibly.
He is who I’d ask anyway.
Good luck in your search!!
OG’s own @SCJedi is the guy to ask. He has his own tissue culture lab, and even teaches classes on the subject. I don’t know what his pricing is like, but hit him up, he can hang.
It’s 7 bucks, and contains enough to make 1qt of solution. I’ve use it, and had some success with it. One thing, it’ll cause the seedlings to stretch, big time. It didn’t seem to make any difference, but it kinda freaked me out a little.
It’s fun to try new things with old bag seeds. 
