Do you ferment your seeds?

[dld]

Do you use the fermentation method to clean your seeds or do you use another method?

[darthslater]

Mar 4, 2010 12:04:38 GMT -5 @dld said:

Do you use the fermentation method to clean your seeds or do you use another method?

I ferment, but PV has told me a better way without fruit flys and it will most certainly kill disease. He may want to post it.

Darth

[jcm05]

Yes. I don't buy that other comet cleanser crap. I ferment them for 4-5 days and soak in a bleach solution after rinsing. Have had good germination results doing this.

[bluelacedredhead]

MMmmmmm, Nothing finer than the Aroma de Rotting Tomato Pulp. Chlorine has a place in swimming pools. I don't use it on or near seeds.

[darthslater]

Mar 7, 2010 12:34:21 GMT -5 bluelacedredhead said:

MMmmmmm, Nothing finer than the Aroma de Rotting Tomato Pulp. Chlorine has a place in swimming pools. I don't use it on or near seeds.

I am not talking about chlorine {bleach}that is in cleansers, I am talking about TSP, I have not tried this method as I usually ferment my seeds but, anything that eliminates fruitflys is worth trying. It also kills seed bourne disease. Note fermenting seed pics in the tomato show thread.


Darth

[bluelacedredhead]

Interesting. I've heard of the other method with cleansers, etc...STill, I'd rather hang a fruitfly trap in my house (which uses fermented fruit as an attractant, lol).

[PVP]

I think when it's actually time to save tomato seeds this summer, I'll sit down and do a long post on the various methods I use, why I use various methods, and give some specific instructions I think may be helpful.

Right now, I really don't want to engage in a debate about what is and what isn't personal preference based on chemical vs non-chemical ideology. I will say, however, that due to serious seed borne diseases present in some of our gardens, I suggest using products in addition to just fermenting tomato seeds. More on that later, too.

[bunkie]

i ferment seeds for 3-5 days also, in a bit of water. i found this process also helps to loosen the gel around the seeds.

[ozarklady]

I have not done alot of seed saving.
Mostly things that were non-gel coated in the first place.
And I did dry some tomato seeds on paper towels... hmm they germinated.

I was fascinated to even learn that bacteria and disease could be on seeds.
I was even more fascinated to learn that a microwave oven can be used to clean them up!
I am curious about that.
In this pdf it is tobacco seeds. Tobacco is in the nightshade family, along with tomato, peppers, eggplants, potatoes and others... I wonder?
Is anyone brave enough to test the theory?
www.apsnet.org/phyto/PDFS/1977/Phyto67n06_794.pdf

[bluelacedredhead]

Looking forward to your methodology, PV

[bluelacedredhead]

Ozarklady, the only thing I don't like about drying seeds on papertowel is that it sticks to the seeds and makes an awful mess.

I use a fine strainer that stands up on a base to begin the drying process. Once they've spent the night on that, I transfer them to disposable Foam plates. They do not stick to the foam so it's easy to stir them and turn them as need be. The plates of course are washable and reusable over and over again.

(For those of you who are aghast at the mention of disposable plates and are wondering if I've had a complete lifestyle change after some 40 years of ecological living, fear not. I have reused the same plates for at least 5 years.)

[landarc]

I ferment when I save seeds, which is not all that often. I do not have significant disease in my garden yet. I will no doubt have loads now that I have posted this.

[sorellina]

You're a nutbar, Bob.

[darthslater]

Mar 7, 2010 15:35:13 GMT -5 bluelacedredhead said:

Ozarklady, the only thing I don't like about drying seeds on papertowel is that it sticks to the seeds and makes an awful mess.

I use a fine strainer that stands up on a base to begin the drying process. Once they've spent the night on that, I transfer them to disposable Foam plates. They do not stick to the foam so it's easy to stir them and turn them as need be. The plates of course are washable and reusable over and over again.

(For those of you who are aghast at the mention of disposable plates and are wondering if I've had a complete lifestyle change after some 40 years of ecological living, fear not. I have reused the same plates for at least 5 years.)

I will save you a step or 2,after draining the scum and getting to the clean water point, I dump into giant strainer I do thousands of seeds, I have to. Rinse like normal then take a hairdryer to them, then scatter them on a plate iuse papper,and shread them and then compost them. When you deal with lots of seeds beileive me on our scale the kitchen is not a thought. Nor Have I seen a fruitfly trap as big as a refrigerator!!! ;D

[bluelacedredhead]

Darth, my kitchen isn't big enough to hold 1,000 seeds, never mind the fruit fly trap