Official Seed Harvest, Storing, Curing, ect. Thread

I know many people come here to learn so I decided to start this thread for some of those with experience to share with those looking for knowledge. I understand the basics of pollination, and there seem to be quit a few threads on that issue, but haven't found a thread on here which details the process after. Let alone specifics on things like storage or keeping viability up over the years. Tricks of the trade, techniques, preferences, suggestions, and more are welcome.

So for those who have had experience or if you just have any questions, then put them here.

I would like to start this also by opening a discussion on how you, or those you know, dry out seeds. I've done my research and found that many believe about a month or so of drying is necessary to increases germination rates, but what else helps?

Looking very forward to hearing back from any and all. Best wishes and karma all around.




ʇǝɥdoɹPuʍouʞuU*

Moisture

Moisture

This is a great idea Unknown! If you don’t mind I’ll help?

Here some of my fumblings. By the way I haven’t looked closely at early germination because I’ve have had seeds drop & germinate on their own. I always test the germination of each seed run but have never logged how many days from harvest. I will now.
As to storage, I have found that two year old seeds have the highest ratios of all my germination trials. Though I do not know why this is so for me.
The SINLGE most important thing I have found, to my detriment, is moisture! If you seal your seeds and ANY condensation forms you’ve degraded their chances! Everyone says to use something to I think slow drying as in curing, increases the chance of moisture damage. So I keep my seeded flowers drying much faster then my medicine. I often dry them in small brown bags, easy to write on.

Thanks nobull I never could ever mind any of your help my good friend. :friends: That's very interesting that your best rates are that far along. I only pollinated one or two small bottom branches this time around and have them hanging in darkness like I would any other. I'll probably seed through them sooner than later then.

I was also wondering (and this isn't directed at you nobull but of course I'll always have an open ear for you) after the separation I can store them, any container better than the other? Like how glass is better than plastics for flowers. Also at one point is it okay to put them in the fridge for extended storage?

Last but not least:
I was searching desiccants to possibly add to the seeds and came across this hope it helps others aswell.

https://www.gardenmedicinals.com/library/ref_silicagel.html

^^Basically the same as ezozo's and others...

ezozo said:

I am using silica gel to let the pollen dry.
I found that rice can catch mold.
you can but silica gel in 50 gram bags (~5$) the balls are blue when they dry and getting pink when the soaked.
you can re-used them - let them dry on the oven/micro for fer minuts and they will tern blue again.

here is the pack

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here is how I put them in a film box

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then I every day type on some male flowers in to the box.

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then after few days I have

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look at the sillica balls turning pink the I add some more.
I keep them in the refrigerator till I need to pollinated the ladys and if I need to send them or to save them for longer time -

I put the pollen in a small bag will new sillica gel and freez them after they are dry


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PS - my max time that I try to use saved pollen was 7 months with success but not 100%

zozo

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ʇǝɥdoɹPuʍouʞuU*

I live in a humid tropical weather. A few months earlier I harvested some seeds and stored them too early in a zip bag, and after a couple of days I saw some small fuzz growing on some of them (mold mycelium). I immediately removed them from their zip and put them inside a paper enveloppe for a couple of weeks, checking and aerating/shaking everyday. The mold disappeared and they germed fine, but now I always let freshly harvested seeds "cure" in a paper enveloppe for at least 2-4 weeks before bagging them, shaking the enveloppe a few times a week. Never seen any mold since that, and germ rates are great (90%+).
It seems paper allows breathing and buffers humidity changes, I'm sticking with it for the moment.

This thread couldn't have come at a better time. Great info so far.


MARLO

glad you're getting informed thus far...

One more question...

I currently have the pollinated branches hanging at what point (or does it matter) do you de seed the crop. I chopped my branches this last friday and I started deseeding them last night. Some of them glistened, which I assumed was the thc that they rubbed against, but I guess it could be moisture. Regardless I categorized them and placed the seeds spread out in a coffee filter to air dry some more in darkness.

I was planning on a little less than a month dry, then bag them up and store them. After 6 months I was planning on throwing them in the fridge. Is this okay to do or does anyone have any insight or better way?

Regardless nobull, tropic, and marlo thanks for stopping in and feel free to add any input.

Happy harvesting...


ʇǝɥdoɹPuʍouʞuU

Wait till the buds are dry before deseeding, rub all the stuff from the outside of them and let cure in between two paper towels or two sheets of newsprint for another week or so, then package with silica gel in airtight containers. If you aren't going to germ them for a few months stick them in the fridge, but I suggest letting them rest in the container for another month before you try them out... it seems to help the germ rate.

Marlo said:

This thread couldn't have come at a better time. Great info so far.


MARLO

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I gotta say that you are more than right. I did a search and could not find shit on seed harvesting... I'll take plenty of pictures and document my next run in this thread and invite you and UP to do the same...

That's what really makes this place such a pleasure... searchable reliable information!!

UnknownProphet said:

glad you're getting informed thus far...

One more question...
I was planning on a little less than a month dry, then bag them up and store them. After 6 months I was planning on throwing them in the fridge. Is this okay to do or does anyone have any insight or better way?

Regardless nobull, tropic, and marlo thanks for stopping in and feel free to add any input.

Happy harvesting...


ʇǝɥdoɹPuʍouʞuU

Click to expand...

Time improves techniques, but some of us old farts are too hardheaded to change what worked in the ‘Olden days’.

With this disclaimer I’ll take a toke & start a ramble!

I do not worry about cleaning my seeded branches until EVERYTHING else is cleaned cured & put away. Then I take the well tagged branch (I use hanging tags when I pollinate & document Male, Female, Dates pollinated & ANYTHING else that matters,keeping tag on all the way) & hand roll the whole thing to fine shake, removing all stems. I start on a Kief screen (why waste anything) then move to a smooth tray (NOW; they use grading screens) for rolling the seeds away from the chaff. I clean the seeds two or three times, taking out all odd shaped & off color beans.

At this point (depending on the size of the run) I lightly sandpaper 10 to 100 seeds & test the germination rate (keeping some of the most vigorous to pot up). Ten plants can tell me that the cross is growing consistent or if it is mostly sports.

I think it is more important to have viable seeds as so many times I’ve bought seeds from ‘BIG NAMES’ only to not have them germinate or have only one or two pop. If I sell seeds that do not do what you want, I can trade you some thing else or we can talk it out. If they don’t grow, you’re PISSED!

By now I’m not worried about how dry they are & I bag them in ‘Snack’ baggies, writing the info on the bag (tag goes in bag also). I keep my seeds in a box (see Photos) & keep the box where the temperature changes very slowly (NOW; in refer or some kind of transformer golly dam-et) (probably much better, but moving them seams troublesome). It seams to me, that the most harmful thing to do to a seed (besides moisture) is let it think winter, summer, spring or fall have been around. Cold to warm is a major trigger to make a seed want to grow & if it sees that too much; the week seeds will give up & never grow into a strong phenotype, if at all.

Well I’ve ranted too much for one time. I’ll do the photos now, those that know me will recognize the box.

I didn't have these two photos uploaded.

Here are the seeds I Bought last year ( U can see I like 'Nivarna', lots of stable stock)




This next one showes how these high rollers now send their $$ wears. They started with hard coin protectors, then baggies, now this!!



A paece of plactic cardboard & Q-tips to hold them in! Next year 'Scotch Tape'!!!

From a DJ Short article:

Your friend the freezer

A benevolent tool in our trade is the refrigerator and freezer. The fridge is extremely useful in extending the longevity of seed and pollen. The trick to successful freezing is to freeze deep (-10 to -40°F/-20 to -35°C) and then keep the seed undisturbed. Hard frozen objects are very fragile. The slightest shock may shatter crucial, delicate cell structures within the seed. Double wrap the seed in paper; little manilla envelopes work great.

I like to do small amounts, in one-time-use packets, to keep waste to a minimum. Then place the wrap into a plastic freezer bag, then place the freezer bag into a plastic tub or tupperware container. Now the seed is ready for the deep-freeze. In the fridge, storing seed in airtight, brown glass jars with a little rice or other non-toxic desiccant seems to work best.

I have had pollen last for years in a deep freeze. It must be frozen immediately after fresh collection from the plant, in as low a humidity as possible (preferably 0%). I like to shake the productive male flowers over a flat and clean piece of glass. The pollen pile is sifted to rid the unwanted plant material from the pure powder.

It is also useful to cut pollen with flour to stretch the amount. A pollen-to-flour ratio of 1:10 or even 1:100 works best. The cut pollen may then be separated into small, one-time-use amounts, stored in a flap of paper and frozen the same way as the seed. The frozen pollen must be applied to the live female flower immediately after thawing to increase viability.

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From my experience:
I took seeds out of buds when they started to easly fall off - after poking them with toothpick - they weren't whole-brown by that time. I left them for week, to dry. After that I put them in fridge (with fair ammount of rice, as dehydrant) for next two weeks and tested germ ratio. 8 out of 10 sprouted and were very vigorous.

...so I don't think it's always "wait till bud is ready and collect seeds after it's dry". ; P

nobull56 said:

Time improves techniques, but some of us old farts are too hardheaded to change what worked in the ‘Olden days’.

With this disclaimer

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All knowledge is great & Unknown started this for all to share & enjoy our diversity.

I hope everyone took my rant as ‘Only one way’; I would never (I hope) hint that that what I do is best!

For the ‘Longest’ after freezing to 0°, move to a ‘Dewar Flask’ of liquid nitrogen. Only thaw once (slowly) & never let the Dewar run low on liquid. We used to keep cattle & hog seamen in a livestock Dewar; some seeds experimented with them self’s & hopefully someone some where is keeping that going. Too much work for me!
We keep a small supply of ‘Survival’ food & seeds; they come in partially vacuumed cans & pouches; they claim 10 to 25 years shelf life & we have eaten 12 year old sprouts as we rotate our supply. Recommended storage “ cool dry place”, tuff in Lake Co summer!


Like growing use what works, but most of all have fun!!

Wow thank you all for the great information. I will start fully documenting my current process and hopefully can germ test in a little while. And even if I don't have the room to finish them, maybe a lucky IC'er will get them gifted...looking at you nobull.

Nobull was completely correct in saying I started this thread to share information. I really love growing, and the people who share my passion I find to be some of the kindest hearted people I've met. That being said I'm not naive and won't just take anyone's advice.

I honestly believe there's no right way to grow, just what works the best for you. I have had countless conversations with growers, where the other party is completely close minded and not willing to accept any constructive criticism or suggestions. Well this is the opposite of that, this thread, if not the whole site is about giving back to me. I did my homework and I like sharing with the class.

Anyways kind of going off on a tangent there. Anyways I'll try to take some pics and upload them sooner than later until then anyone willing to chime in is greatly appreciated.

Until then all....


ʇǝɥdoɹPuʍouʞuU

NYCD x Lemon Kush

(seeded by Violator Kush)

I will be fully documenting my crosses which include....
-NYCD#1 X NYCD(m)
-NYCD#2 X NYCD(m)
-NYCD#3 X NYCD(m)
-NYCD#4 X NYCD(m)
-NYCD#5 X NYCD(m)
-Blue Dream X NYCD(m)
-Red Dragon X NYCD(m)
-Gob 9 X NYCD

As you can tell I kinda like NYCD.

Great minds think alike...heres a before the chop picture of Red Dragon X NYCD



(award winning)GOB9 X NYCD




ʇǝɥdoɹPuʍouʞuU

Great Photos!!

Beautiful shot there mate. Those crosses sound awesome aswell.

great thread guys ,

i did a seedrun and finished around 3 weeks ago dryed the bud for a good 10day and placed bud in a bag and gave it a good shake . then placed the seeds in a enverlope . just waiting on the seeds too dry .
from 4 autos i got over 5000 seeds they were all seeded to the max .

heres a pic of some of the seeds .