On Mar 28, 10:56*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
I have some very old pepper seeds that I'm trying to grow mostly for
a seed crop to keep the variety going. *I've planted them twice
already; I put them in a damp paper towel on a heated bathroom
floor, and they germinate *very* quickly. *But they are weak, and
when I move them to a little flat of seedling mix they die almost
immediately. *I'm not sure if they can't push through the dirt, or
if they can't get out of the seed coat, but I think it's the former.

The fresh seeds (a different variety) that I handled the same way 2
weeks ago are vigorous young plants and ready to be transplanted to
individual pots already.

How about starting some in sterile gelatin? *(I have enough seeds to
try this 2 or 3 more times if necessary) *Would that work? *Or
agar-agar from the Chinese market? *I could put them under the
growlights a lot sooner that way too -- they would receive light as
soon as they sprout, even while under the surface of the gel.

What do you think? *If it works, it might be an easier way to plant
begonia seeds, etc.

I've also heard of treating hard-to-grow seeds with potassium
nitrate, but I'm not sure what that's for. *Fertilizer, I suppose.
Maybe I should put one or two drops of KNO3 solution on the wet
paper towel before this current batch dies...

-Bob

Don't know if this info (OTHER AREAS FOR RESEARCH, pg 4-5) would help
your decision Bob but if you D/L the Deno reference PDF file from
USDA archives just know it takes a while as will the 2 supplements to
it.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/49881480/G...ic-Acid-3-GA-3