Germination Rates Based On Storage/Timelines After Harvest

[EnkiTheBarbarian]

Everyone knows storing seeds for too long lowers the rate of viability i.e. germination. With exception to the 35f-41f/15%humidity method. That can apparently give good germination rates up to five years in storage. I've never kept seeds for that long so I can't say for sure if it works. However, there are observations made by others. Some even freeze their seeds. I would not personally suggest this as it damages the embryonic structure and the cotyledons exhibit this with "freezerburned" tips.

What about attempting to germinate seeds too soon after production? On several occasions in the past, in my haste, I have attempted to germinate some of my own crossbreeds a week or so after harvesting the seeds. My observations indicate that the seeds have a much lower germination rate at this time. They simply are not ready to come out of dormancy. The exception was a batch of six beans from a Snowdawg2 x Jock Horror cross that I put in the refrigerator for six weeks. I spoke with another breeder and he said the reason that batch had a high germination rate was due less to the refrigerator and more to the timeline in which the seeds were stored. The first seedset from that crossbreed was germinated one week after seed harvest, germination rate was 2/6. The second seedset was germinated two weeks after harvest, germination rate was 3/6. The third seedset was germinated three weeks after harvest, the germination rate was 5/6. The fourth seedset was refrigerated for six weeks, germination rate was 6/6. Seeds were germinated by 24hour soak at 80f, placed in sterile Jiffy peat nuggets, and placed in a multi-spectrum CFL nursery at 80f, 40% humidity.

All of my seed observations to date have been made with photoperiod seeds. If all goes well I will have a few batches of lower-branch seeds from Flash Stardust Auto x Flash Stardust Auto, Flash Stardust Auto x Nirvana Jock Horror Auto, & Flash Stardust Auto x Autoflower Portal Black Stone Auto.

I am currently doing a soak on six seeds that were dried for about two weeks from (Snowdawg2xJockHorror)xJock Horror, photoperiod. So I will have some observations to share there.

Does anyone have any anecdotal wisdom on this subject? There are many, many articles on how to get your seeds to germinate in the first place, but little to no data on how long to wait after seed production before attempting to germinate. I've read Greg Green's The Cannabis Grow Bible, Greg Green's The Cannabis Breeder's Bible, and Jorge Cervantes' The Cannabis Encyclopedia. These works are almost completely geared towards the cultivation of photoperiod cannabis, with the smallest amount of data regarding day-neutral cannabis. I found another book by Justin Griswell & Victoria Young titled Growing Autoflowers A Professor Grow Guide. None of these publications address the issue of dormancy after harvest.

As patience is not necessarily a virtue that everyone possesses, any data or insight would be welcome. Thank you.

 

[EnkiTheBarbarian]

The Tacklebox:

Photos.

Autos.

 

[Sourdough]

I have some 5 or 6 year old MI5 that has been in the freezer.... I will let them soak till they drop and put them in some cubes.

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[EnkiTheBarbarian]

https://autoflower-portal.net/dry-store-cannabis-seeds/

Here's a great article! I should have known Stone would have the data I was looking for.

Thank you Stone for being amazing!!!

 

[Sourdough]

This is how I stored my seeds last year...

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[Mr.Sparkle]

I've had similar results in the past for seeds which i attempted to germinate directly after harvest, really were just rushing it by doing so.

I typically wait at least a three weeks to a month to allow the shell to harden and the seed to go slightly dormant

Eventually you start having so many seeds like ENKI above that, there is no way to go through them fast enough. I've given over 3/4 of what i had away, and am now vigilantly trying to burn through what i have left to find keepers that interest me, while still buying the occasional new seeds like auto-flowers and reason why i'm on this site.

But for age i just popped 5 photo-period seeds that would of been made in 2010, two you wouldn't even know they were 6 years old and the other 3 just took an extra 12hrs and i knew they wouldnt have any problems, And that's seeds just stored in a plain manila coin envelope, then transferred to a small glass-top tin a year or so back, no desiccants, no freezer, or fridge, just a dry dark place, aka bottom drawer/storage box.

Unless were talking about storage of decades or more starting good on day one and never having issues with fridges loosing power and defrosting, or heating up during moves ect, they will do just fine on there own, as seeds are resistant little things, for good reason.

 

[tobe]

Hi friends
I dry my seeds for about 8 weeks then put them in a frige for about 3 weeks and got a germ rate of 100%.

 

[EnkiTheBarbarian]

12 hour soak on the (SD2xJH)xJH, all are sinkers, 2/6 germinated. Transferred to perforated solo cups of PromixBX. The other 4/6 still soaking, currently at about 36 hours.

 

[Sourdough]

I have some 5 or 6 year old MI5 that has been in the freezer.... I will let them soak till they drop and put them in some cubes. View attachment 576480View attachment 576481

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All seeds cracked and sank. Tails popped open. Put in cups with root shooter..... Then the pot worms struck. Think only two or three survived. But still had a great germ rate.....

 

[medic grower]

Just germed a batch of 3+ yrs not optimum stored seeds. 100 were thrown in water got 50 viable seedlings so 50% Germ Ratio after few Yrs over here. Usually fresh harvested Beans i dry for 2 weeks then 2 weeks to the frigde and a 100% Germ Ratio. Will see how the yearlings willd do as i just threw a batch of 1 yr old ones to germ last nite.