TOPIC: seed already sprouting??

hello all,

Ive started planting my seed this fall, and i saw about 25% of my seeds have started sprouting in the fridge?

should i still plant theses? is it good or bad? will they survive the winter if i do plant them??

if theyre okay i will plant them, but i dont want to plant duds that will die this winter!

Thanks to all

Wish I could help and give you a real true answer but I really am not sure I am still a beginning grower my self just starting out . Does seem like i have seen somewhere on ere before though that if the tail on the seed is a certain length they should make it but am not sure . I just got my order of seeds today but I cannot plant mine for a couple days because of this storm we have coming in so I am almost in the boat you are in trying to figure out the proper way to store mine until im ready to plant.

First of all... I would say that when you get your seed in you need to get it in the ground asap.

If you do have to store it in the fridge do your best to minimize that time.

Make sure it stays slightly moist but not wet. The seeds will start turning light whiteish color when they start to dry out. Add a few drops of water at that point and mix them up good. I check mine every day, and mix them when I do have to store in the fridge.

It is not unusual for some seed to \"tail\" where the seed coat is split and the tip of the root is starting to come out. But that should only be a small percent of what you have in a good batch of stratified seed. I have received seed in the past where something like 3-4% of it was tailing. You do have to be careful with them - if you break off that tail I don't think it would survive.

If you do have seed where the majority are tailing like that, I would get them in the ground asap, and be very gentle with covering them and getting them planted.

Good Luck

TNHunter

Appreciate that info TNhunter they just arrived a little while ago it took them a few days to get here three to be exact . I figured they would be dry so I unbagged them and put them in between two damp paper towels for a few minutes then let them get a little air so they weren't to wet and rebagged them and plan on planting them tomorrow and hope the storm doesn't wash them away . Also when you say if they turn a whiteish color they are to dry , you are talking about the outside shell right ? Because I bit one of my seed into and the inside is white . Idk thanks for the info though .

Yes... I do mean the seed coat... on turning white.

Once it starts to dry out they will turn a much lighter color.

You should also check a few seed to make sure you got good seed, with proper embryo development.

Just split it in half along the seam... and you should be able to see the little embryo inside the white flesh part, if properly split.

Below is a pic showing some that a user name Guy posted a few years ago. Now these are very well developed embryo. I never bought any that looked quite that good myself, but had some close.



Seed that is Green, you will not be able to find the embryo... it will be all clear white inside.

But if properly stratified you should be able to see the embryo.

Good Luck !

TNHunter

Appreciate that TNhunter knew nothing about that until i just read your post.Still have a few seed left where i didn't get planted fixing to split a few and see what they look like .