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What’s the oldest seeds anyone has germinated ?
- Thread starter NutE1
- Start date
GenghisKush
Well-known member
IDK about cannabis specifically, but Verbascum seeds from 1879 are still being germinated in this ongoing experiment.
Better than if they had not been stored that way. I don't think it's possible to answer that with more than a guess. Not everyone's seeds will last the test of time. I've had some from other's germ at 10 years but not all of the seed's germ. I don't have many seeds older than 12 years. The older they get impacts their viability IME.
OldCoolSativa
Well-known member
I got some -40 year old seeds to shoot tails after hand cracking them, but they didn’t germinate. I’m considering teaching myself how to do embryo rescue as something to make some cash when I retire.
^^ How were your seeds stored? I think just room temp or 70 F they will go bad in 15 years or less. Fridge they can go 20 or 30 years but less germination. Freezing I believe is almost indefinite. Not a million years but maybe over 50 years.
Embryo rescue like in a test tube with agar? I got a kit like that but never got around to using it.
Embryo rescue like in a test tube with agar? I got a kit like that but never got around to using it.
Chuck Jägerschnitzel
Active member
What causes them to age past the point they'll germinate? Lipids going rancid? Genetic damage from long term exposure to low level ambient radiation? I've been seeing a lot of fasciation on my older seeds the past couple years, but they were only in the 5-7 year old range & stored room temp in little ziplocks.
Dutch Passion Durban Poison regular on day 30 of veg. Topped twice for 8-way.
Purchased: May 2013.
Sown: March 21, 2023
I had 5 seeds left in the pack. Four of 5 germinated (same as back in 2015 when first grown), all are viable.
Seeds were stored in sachet in an air tight container in the lower half of my refrigerator.
Also sowed 7 x Peak Seeds BC Sweet Skunk x C99 purchased in November 2015. All 7 germinated, all are viable (3 are showing male pre-flowers already). Germination rates over the past 10 years have been 98-99% but, sadly, I continue to get 75%+ males from Peak beans. I've grown out roughly 120 Peak plants from 9 strains since purchasing beans in 2013 and 2015 for around 25 - 28 females. And the best plants are almost always male, with few exceptions. Blueberry is the only Peak strain to return over 30% female (8 plants/4 fem).
Peace
Purchased: May 2013.
Sown: March 21, 2023
I had 5 seeds left in the pack. Four of 5 germinated (same as back in 2015 when first grown), all are viable.
Seeds were stored in sachet in an air tight container in the lower half of my refrigerator.
Also sowed 7 x Peak Seeds BC Sweet Skunk x C99 purchased in November 2015. All 7 germinated, all are viable (3 are showing male pre-flowers already). Germination rates over the past 10 years have been 98-99% but, sadly, I continue to get 75%+ males from Peak beans. I've grown out roughly 120 Peak plants from 9 strains since purchasing beans in 2013 and 2015 for around 25 - 28 females. And the best plants are almost always male, with few exceptions. Blueberry is the only Peak strain to return over 30% female (8 plants/4 fem).
Peace
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Moxa stick
Active member
In the late ‘90’s while moving, I came across a pill bottle of Acapulco/Guerrero gold seeds I had squirreled away from ‘77-‘78?, approximately 250 seeds. I did a wet towel germ test with 20 and only got one to crack which never developed a tail. I threw the rest into a garden space and forgot about them for a few months. I was surprised to see a single runt plant about 18” tall just starting to flower In early August. I got maybe an eighth of an oz off the plant which had to be cut weeks before full maturity and unfortunately no seed. The taste took me right back to the 70’s but sadly the buzz was too short and weaker than I remembered.
It’s hit or miss on seed like that…. Avoid towels I would try a few first direct in cups if nothing then consider a soak in a gib mix or sumthin already done like https://www.cannomic.com/products
Next step is a microclone seed germ kit
Still nothing last shot is full embryonic rescue if that don’t work they dead and won’t grow
Main thing to keep in mind is that the seed if it does pop won’t have the same charge it would fresh and needs a boost whether it be in the soil or in a chemical soak or test tube full of mixed agar
Next step is a microclone seed germ kit
Still nothing last shot is full embryonic rescue if that don’t work they dead and won’t grow
Main thing to keep in mind is that the seed if it does pop won’t have the same charge it would fresh and needs a boost whether it be in the soil or in a chemical soak or test tube full of mixed agar
Some of us have given the Ancestral Skunk a go and got more than a few to pop and grow. Those were ~25 years old by the time they reached us. Next oldest would be the original HM x BB, ~13-16 years old by the time they reached me. Same with Gypsy's Khmer Gold (pre-2010 if anyone can confirm?). All popped in low numbers but they popped.
SolarLogos
Well-known member
I was gifted some old Khmer Gold seeds a couple of years ago. After crack, seed soak and sitting in fresh EWC, the first one came up on day 31. Day 32 I got 6 or 8 more and by the 34th day, I had 26 total come up. I kept 12 that I finished. As toutman said, it takes them a while.
romanoweed
Well-known member
thanks to @SolarLogos we followed your advice to wait for months.
We popped unnown age seeds, but they might be anything between 1 and 50 years, one of a couple dozen of this old Landrace Seeds made it out the Soil, then died, but we kept them in Soil and waited , waited, and waited, almost forgot them, and after 3 months a survivor made it into a living plant.
So, its really true one needs to wait multiple months, to eventualy get one more suvivor.
We popped unnown age seeds, but they might be anything between 1 and 50 years, one of a couple dozen of this old Landrace Seeds made it out the Soil, then died, but we kept them in Soil and waited , waited, and waited, almost forgot them, and after 3 months a survivor made it into a living plant.
So, its really true one needs to wait multiple months, to eventualy get one more suvivor.
Last year I germed 15 yr.old refrigerated seeds of '88G13/Hashplant x Butterscotch Hawaiian using the paper towel method and Superthrive.
They were very vigorous and opened in about 12 hrs.
This year, same strain but 16 yr. old seeds, nothing popped.
They were very vigorous and opened in about 12 hrs.
This year, same strain but 16 yr. old seeds, nothing popped.
Mithridate
Well-known member
I had some luck with 30 years old skunk, up to 10% germinated, most batches hovered in the 1-5% range.
8% on orange seeds from the same year.
I'm not the one who kept them this long, when I got them they were refrigerated.
8% on orange seeds from the same year.
I'm not the one who kept them this long, when I got them they were refrigerated.
Mithridate
Well-known member
Current 30 years old skunk germination. Some are showing tails after 24hrs..
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