Seed age for viability

🙀 Growing Help
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Strain: unknown. Probably Sativia
Reg seed
Trying to germinate
Super Thrive .3ml in a 1/2 cup water.

Hello restarting after a 20 year layoff. I have some quality genetic seeds that I stored in a Mason Jar in a dark environment but they were put in in late 2002. I never harvested the seeds (left them in the bud) and I cross pollinated a quality female sense plant with a nice male purple bud outdoor plant.
I’ve tried all the ways and tricks InI used to use to germinate seeds with no luck. I’ve sandpapered, soaked in water, used a heat mat with seeds between paper towels wetted slightly with a .3ml per 1/2 cup of water to spray Super Thrive nutrient. They are in a dark area also. I have successfully germinated a purchased and a shared seed using the same methods. Are the seeds that I put up in 2000 just too old and no longer viable?

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Yes. I think 6 to 7 years is the maximum you can store cannabis seeds. And the best way to do that is in a freezer. But they have to be dried well then. If they are not 100% dry, the water inside the seeds will expand and the seeds are destroyed.

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That’s a real shame you can’t get them to germinate. People (including myself) go crazy for old-school unadulterated genetics.

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Man, that would have been really cool! I might make a little time capsule with a few seeds in it.

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Hey I just came across this and thought you might like to try it if you haven’t already:

Germination Protocol

  1. Rough up seeds using screen or sand paper lined match box, shot glass filled with 2/3 distilled water 1/3 hydrogen peroxide wash seeds rinse with distilled water.

  2. Tall glass filled with distilled water and 1/2 TEASPOON organic sugar soak seeds over night at the same time with another tall glass filled with distilled water add handful of dried pinto beans soak overnight. Next day separate pinto beans from Pinto bean juice, then remove seeds from 1st glass of sugar water and add to pinto bean juice for 24 hours. You should see embryos that are now receiving nutrients from bean juice. Great method for older seeds, we have cracked 50 year old seed using this method.

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Nice! @SJ1 beat me to the punch, I was going to share the same info :smiley:

Also, consider reading up on electroculture… if it were me, I would build a copper pyramid, place seed inside for a few days first, then try to germinate. There is a thread on the subject: https://social.growithjane.com/t/electroculture-sound-and-other-ethereal-techniques-with-cannabis-thread/44757?u=rasta_free-man

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Another one here to try, posting for reference.

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I had about a 15-20% success rate germinating 40 year old seeds. They were put away in 1978-79, no idea the strains, local Alabama homegrown, Columbian Gold, Panama Red, etc. I wish I’d had the sense to separate/label them back then. But back then every sack of weed had dozens if not hundreds of seed so it wasn’t a big deal. The end results weren’t up to par with what I grow now and the remaining beans were gifted but never planted to my knowledge so I don’t know if they germinated or not.

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Awesome! Yeah I also would aways try it! But these 7 years is the time you shoud expect them to germinat when they are in a good environment. After that it’s luck. But it’s really great! 40 years is a long time

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Thanks everyone for all the tips. I’m gonna keep trying and I plan to try some (all) of these suggestions. If I get one to pop I’m ahead.
Who would have ever dreamed seeds would cost $12-15 or more but then I never dreamed then I could walk into a store and buy weed either. I threw away billions of $$$. (LOL) in the 70’s and 80’s. Never knew what since was till the mid 80’s here. Everything had seeds unless it was someone’s leafy green HG.

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We use distilled water and peroxide solution to soak our seeds in 175mls water 5mls of 3%peroxide :grin: