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addison Il

Ok this question might have been asked before and if so send me the link LOL . Here it goes After the same soaking and germination attepts the older seeds after 7 days have not moved at all the newer ones 06 seeds from last season are up in about 5 days and are now growing strong. My question to you all is this do older seeds just have a harder time germinating? where talking 00-05 seeds. Does yrs really make a diffrence in germiantion rate? Again this questions prob been asked but if any of you can awnser these questions i would be grateful for your knowledge. Have a great season all and may you always grow em big.

5/8/2007 5:37:13 PM

porterville, calif.

I started a 552 Sherwood from 2002. It started coming up in 4 days. My other seed after they had sprouted came up in 3 days. I had a 534 Reiss from 2003 come in 3days.
I think all seed are a little different.
Ive had some Delious tomato seed that was 10 years old that came up in 7 days. I started 10 and they all sprouted. Last year I started 10 of the same seed and none came up. I think alot has to do with how you start them.
Age does make a differance after a while, also on how you stored them.

5/8/2007 9:06:52 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

As the seeds age the stored starches & hormones start to degrade. Not only will fewer old seeds germinate, but the ones that do will grow more slowly until they're producing their own photosynthates.

The oldest seed we have up right now is from 1999. It germinated a day later & is moving MUCH slower than the 2004 seeds we have up.

5/8/2007 10:28:19 PM

porterville, calif.

The 552 I started is moving slower than the others

5/9/2007 1:34:39 AM

Hudsonville, Michigan (michiganpumpkins@sbcglobal.net)

In some germ testing here I found germination rates dropped on seeds 3 years old or more. (Starting multiple seeds from the same pumpkin.)
Seeds had been stored at room temp in mason jars. Might have gotten better germination with frozen or refrigerated seeds, but I didn't have a stockpile of the same seedstock in different long term storage venues to test the germ rate difference between room temp, fridge and freezer storage.

5/9/2007 1:05:47 PM