TOPIC: Planting Seed Question

i live in s.e. ind and was wonderin the same thing as 4 runner, except i purchased stratified seeds in may and they have been in the fridge since. the seng here on the property just now finished droppin their seed. the old and the young seed makers. i feel i should wait till ground temps reach fridge temp? i have 5lb of seed, nervous as all get-out!

I have seed left over from this past weekend that I didn't get in the ground probably 1/4lb left of the original pound I bought. Got it in a Ziploc bag in basement cool and dark is this ok???? I plan to plant it Friday evening or Sat. morning then maybe go get another pound in about 3 weeks. Also where I buy my seed the guy stores the seed in refrigerator when I arrived Friday for the initial pound he had just received it so I was able to get it before he placed it in fridge.

Fellows,
Right here is a good place to find the truth about something that we have been batting back and forth for a few years. sabsfuture says he has had the seeds he received in the fridge since May. If that is true, then I say, that he won't get any seeds to germinate. Some of the others tend to think that it won't hurt at all and the new plants will come right up. If that refrigerator has been below 40 degrees I believe he can kiss those seeds goodbye. Way too many people have lost a years worth of planting time and good seed because we can't seem to come to a consensus about delayed dormancy caused by placing seeds back into a cold environment after they have been brought out of stratification. Let's revisit this topic in the Spring of next year and see what the truth really is.
sabsfuture, I wish you the best, but...

Hugh

Well, I am hopeful that sabsfuture's seeds came out of the stratification and spent enough time being warm to qualify as part of the normal dormancy that they require! The seeds apparently went into stratification near or during the winter which meets the first cold period they need. Came out of stratification and spent a short time being warm, hopefully meeting the first warm period. Then placing them into the refrigerator, then taking them out in the Winter and planting them. Although thsi was a longer extended period, hopefully no serious damage was done and this met the second cold period. Then in the Spring, if the required dormancy periods, although shorter or longer than normal were met for the seeds, hopefully many of them will germinate and send up tops. One can only hope that this will be the case and that a serious investment is not a total loss!


Frank

4runner00 wrote:

I have seed left over from this past weekend that I didn't get in the ground probably 1/4lb left of the original pound I bought. Got it in a Ziploc bag in basement cool and dark is this ok???? I plan to plant it Friday evening or Sat. morning then maybe go get another pound in about 3 weeks. Also where I buy my seed the guy stores the seed in refrigerator when I arrived Friday for the initial pound he had just received it so I was able to get it before he placed it in fridge.

4runner,

I think that the seed will be okay! You are only talking about 6 or 7 days and you are storing them in a cool and dark environment.


Frank

5lbs in the fridge:

I have to agree with Hugh. Here is why... If the morphophysiological dormancy (cold, warm, cold) of the seed were an academic process and all that is needed was for a trigger to be pressed by the right day with the right conditions, I think Frank would be correct. However, that's not the case here. Ginseng seed needs to go through the stratification process to finish maturing before germination. Seed stratified above ground needs to be kept about 37 degrees until May, when it should be removed from cold storage and allowed to warm to around 70 degrees until planting. This warm period does more than satisfy the pressing of the trigger, it allows time for the embryo to continue the maturing process (called after-ripening).

My first impression is that since the seed has been at a steady temp all summer, and not frozen, some of the seed might germinate, but I suspect the majority will germinate a year late if at all.


Seed left over from planting:

If you are only keeping it for a week or so, it will be fine provided that you do not let excess moisture build up in that plastic bag. Seed will go bad in a baggie if there is too much moisture. I think I'd open the baggie. It should be fine for a week or so in a cool area of your home.

BCastle wrote:

Plant them now.

Remember, the seed that was harvested last fall would have been planted by nature last fall and been already in the ground. I wouldn't wait unless they were held in a refrigerator for a period of time before you got them. I highly recommend you do not put them in the fridge after bringing them out of stratification unless you intend to wait until the ground temperature approaches that of your fridge temperature.

Once seed is pulled from the stratification boxes, unless it is kept in very ideal conditions, it can go bad quickly. This is the reason the commercial growers don't pull all their seed at one time -they only pull what they need for a few days at a time.

Also remember that there is moisture in the ground and the seed will be fine. Ginseng seed can take much drier conditions than we used to understand, however, delayed germination might be the result of getting too dry.

As for the float, let the seed soak for a while before culling anything. If you are buying from a reputable source, I wouldn't bother as you are adding more moisture and an increased opportunity for disease.

Brad,

What temp do you think would be ok for planting after refrigerating seeds. Highs is the 50s, lows in the 30s and 40s? Or should it be colder?

Lenno

I'd guess you are close enough Lenno. I was just thinking the other day that we are in the same boat...now is the time to plant the seeds from the fridge before it gets too late.

I've not kept any in the fridge, but I am about to move them outside for storage at this point. I still have somewhere between 10 and 20 lbs, and haven't planted my own yet (waaaaayyyyy too busy so far).

I have had a batch in the fridge since mid August. I have been afraid to plant them after what you said. I was thinking it should be getting cool enough now, but wasnt sure. Thanks.

No worries. Happy to help anytime. All I can offer is my opinion.