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Old 29-03-2011, 11:42 PM posted to rec.gardens
Kay Lancaster Kay Lancaster is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 481
Default Starting seeds in agar or gelatin?

On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:56:43 -0500, 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.


They've metabolized most of their reserves during their long storage, and
the probably just don't have enough to grow to the point that they're
photosynthesizing enough on their own. While you may actually get them
established, I'd be surprised if they catch up to their newer brothers.

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.


Either will work, though it may actually cause more problems with fungal
growth. Of the two, I prefer agar, as it's solid at room temp.

I'd probably use a 1/4" of sand over potting mix, and then cover the seeds
with a little milled sphagnum or well cured compost, and keep them damp,
but with good air circulation. Automatic misters help. Good light right from
the beginning... the faster they get photosynthesizing, the better
the chances are for survival. Put 'em right under the growlights....
1" max.

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


I used to use fine polyacrylamide gel ("water gel") for sowing begonias,
squirted through a bottle with a fairly good sized hole in the tip.
Or the old trick of fine-milled sphagnum or sugar sand mixed with the seeds to
dilute the concentration when sown.


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...


KNO3 breaks dormancy in some species of grasses, not in peppers.
You most likely haven't got a dormancy issue here, it's a
"slowly starved to death" issue.



-Bob