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This is the seed soak solution I use. Been using it for many years. And yeah, if they’re old beans, scuff first:
One gallon of distilled water. Pour out roughly a half cup. Add to the water 1/2 ounce of maxicrop, 1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide and two drops of Superthrive (or 5ml of ThriveAlive B1 [green])
I agree about popping some less desirables first...
First of all, I’ve never tried to germ beans that old Nice find!
This is pretty much how I always go about it. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part this is the rule for me... (easier to link to this than to try to give the rundown here):
Buddyluv, I am in the PNW also. Just been growing since it became legal here.
I know of a nice lady breeder in the area with some good knowledge on the subject. I'm not sure if I can mention her website here. Deb at Oregon Green Seed seems like a very nice lady with some great genetics. She has one strain of Columbian that she says she started from some seeds she was given from the late '70s.
I would consider sending her an email through her website for some advice and possibly some assistance. I believe she just moved down to the Salem area. Let me know if you need more information.
Thanks Squatty, i will look her up. Would love to find someone local to work with. Need all the help i can get. If you have more info to share, please do.
As for Chimera, he's done / doing a ton of genetic level research. Don't know if he can pop them from what you have but if they're at all viable you may have something that millions will want.
Avoid Stoney Girl in the Portland metro area.
If anybody advises her services you may as well toss the seed in the round file.
Chimera is in Canada so prob not available directly but if you visit his forum I'm sure he'd be willing to help. He's not only a breeder, he is also a geneticist. Cannabis being the genes he studies.
i'm a sucker for old 70's seeds sprouting threads
subbed to many and still hoping to see the 1st credible plant
so be prepared for difficulties, but where there's a whole seed there is hope
The problem is that few people bothered to maintain or improve the original seed lines and use proper breeding standards. Using natural cropping methods it might be two or three seed crops per year. That is assuming anyone actually breeding their plants and maintenance of genetic diversity in their seed lines. Pollen fluffing clones in a growbox will produce tens or many thousands of seeds for commercial exploitation. Hack garbage like that should be sold for less than a dollar pack.
I will need a lot more experience before I attempt anything. Deb at Oregon Green Seed talked a bit about it possibly could be a landrace sativa but may take many generations to find something worthy. Which I was unaware of. And if they were stored properly you could expect a 30 percent germinating rate under supreme conditions. Sounded like a lot of work to pursue as it should be done. She is light years beyond me so I couldn't even really fathom the enormity of the process.
It might be easier for you to start by creating a sample set of F2s from well respected breeders like Sam at Flying Dutchman. A lot of the genetic editing has already been done. It becomes for you then a question of isolating the phenotypes you really like.
Likely those seeds are all dead if they were in 100 f heat in the garage in the summer. But you never know. I think you have enough info to move forward now. Just keep some back from the first run, and if after all the trying to germ, keep a few for Chimera to work on in the future.
I am sure Deb knows her stuff, i have some seeds from her, but gonna disagree that you can not get a good plant from a few seeds. Those buds you had were all killer right? They came from a big field of random plants.
Don't know if they were ever at 100 degrees, more likely from 30 degrees in the winter to 80 degrees in the summer . And yes everything I had was very good. I can see your point Yesum and I tend to agree with you. . I will definitely try after a trial run or two of something else. . I grew from clones but they are no longer available in Washington so I will be a seed man from this point forward.
I popped 6ea 12 year old haze seeds this spring, no problem, as usual I wrapped them in a paper towel and wetted the towel not quite dripping wet, then placed them in a small plastic container with the lid laying on top with a gap to circulate air, i placed it on top of the hot water heater and had beautiful sprouts in 24 hours. Works every time for me. Good luck!
Glad you got in touch with Debbie. Sorry, I thought her old seeds were Columbian but were Oaxacan.
You'll never know what you have unless you try. My only advise would be that you do not underestimate the ambient temperature if you are germinating in the winter. I've killed seeds by not getting them warm enough. Good luck!