TOPIC: Plant Seeds or Throw Away???

I ordered some stratified ginseng seeds last year and never got time to plant them. I've had them in the refrigerator and now they've been held over for a year. Back during the spring, I noticed that the seeds had started to try to split open. I put them further back in the refrigerator and they never tried to open further. I did the float test tonight and though I had to get rid of some, most sank to the bottom. Should I go ahead and plant these seeds this year, or am I wasting my time? I was hoping to get them out right after Thanksgiving when I am off from work.

Thanks,

Jason

yeehaw21 wrote:

I ordered some stratified ginseng seeds last year and never got time to plant them. I've had them in the refrigerator and now they've been held over for a year. Back during the spring, I noticed that the seeds had started to try to split open. I put them further back in the refrigerator and they never tried to open further. I did the float test tonight and though I had to get rid of some, most sank to the bottom. Should I go ahead and plant these seeds this year, or am I wasting my time? I was hoping to get them out right after Thanksgiving when I am off from work.

Thanks,

Jason

Yes by all means plant them! I ordered a half pound of stratified seeds from Wildgrown in the fall of 2011 and did not get around to planting them until the fall of 2012. Ginseng seeds have a normal 18 months dormancy period before they will germinate and emerge, so there is no problem with planting them this year. I never got to the high locations this year where I planted some of my' seeds last year to check out how many came up but down low in the mountain hollow where I planted, the germination rate was very high with lots of flat tops (three leafers on one stem) all over the place. I soaked mine in water for 24 hours, drained the water off, then planted them and I would recommend the same!


Frank

def. plant them...my concern would be the possibility of mold though...I would recommend a 10 to 1 bleach solution soak then for a cpl minutes and def. plant them. I say this because you don't know what is lingering in your fridge that could promote mold. you can ALWAYS tell buy smelling the seeds, if they have a funky smell to them def. do the bleach to water ratio to assure sprouting

You paid for them, right? Don't throw the $$$ away, put it into the ground. That's what I'd do.

As stated above, sometime the seeds ly dormant for quite some time, before emerging.

Thanks for the advice! Very much appreciated. Just wanted to be sure. I was a little wary where they had begun to crack open a few months ago.

Welcome to the forum!

I concur...plant them.

As long as they didn't germinate and send out little roots, they will be fine.

BCastle wrote:

I concur...plant them.

As long as they didn't germinate and send out little roots, they will be fine.

I agree! However, I believe that the seeds with little fine roots can be planted in potting soil in flats and kept inside for the Winter, right!!?? I am not sure that they would send up small tops but if they do, then that is probably a plus, then take them out and plant them in the Spring. Also, I am not sure that this will work but it is better to try, than to let the seeds go to waste!


Frank

yeehaw21, welcome to the forum.
I do not think they will grow. So please send them to me so I can plant them. lol
Just kidding, I agree with the others, they should be find IMHO.
Good luck.
Latt

Just wondering . . . Is there anyway to test germination with ginseng seeds?