Chapter 37

Germinating Old Tomato Seeds

Once in a great while you may come across some seeds that may be over 10 years old. They may be in a packet or envelope that was put away in a trunk by your great grandmother or someone else and now you want to try growing them. Trying to germinate these seeds will be a bit more difficult than fresh seeds and they will benefit from some special attention.

First, you should soak the seeds overnight in water to which has been added a pinch of Miracle-Gro, liquid seaweed, or kelp. This provides some nitrogen for the seeds which seems to facilitate germination. The seeds may be dehydrated and it might be necessary to hold them under water until they no longer float. Overnight soaking should be adequate.

Plant the seeds in a good non soil mix to which no fertilizer has been added and is moist but not soaking wet. Do not totally cover the seeds, but make certain that they are in good contact with the mix. Keep the seeds at a temperature around 80˚. Cover them slightly to maintain the moisture and add water as necessary. It could take 60 days or more for the seeds to germinate. Keep them moist, and circulate the air around them with a low speed fan.

When they finally germinate, maintain them in essentially the same conditions until you see the first true leaves develop. Water them with a dilute fertilizer solution similar to the one you initially soaked the seeds in. When the true leaves completely emerge, treat them the same as you would any other seedlings.