hello, my name is cam. i am new to growing but i have something i think noone else has. i have stumbled accross some seeds from 1983. they were from the last harvest from my grandma's plants when she was a grower. i honestly dont know how they were stored for 20 years but when i saw them they were in a sealed bag. she said they have just been in her droor since she got them. i have been germinating them for 4days, and none of the seeds look to be sprouting at all. i know since they are older it takes more time but how much more time? she gave them to me as a big "if" thing ya know? is it even possible to grow seeds from so long ago? and a lil side note, the seeds are a little bit smaller then a seed u got a week ago. If anyone can help me or give me some advise i would greatly appreciate it.
I highly doubt they'd grow but stranger shit's happened. Put em between two moist paper towels then sandwhich that in tin foil as if you were going to bbq them(DON'T obviously). That's the best germination technique and the best chance you'd have and keep them at room temperature.
wraped them in tinfoil. i hope these germ, because if they do... its going to be the shiiit. on a side note, i read if you squish them after a couple of days and they mush they are no good, is this true?
^has no real bearing. If you saturate the seeds in water they will get soft and mushy. To test if a seed has matured enough for sprouting you can squeeze it BEFORE dunking it in water. I don't think this would help determining if 20 year old mature seeds can germinate though If they haven't germinated in a few days, I don't think its likely that they will. Don't toss them until mold grows though; hold onto hope! If you have an airpump from an old fish tank laying around and want to, try an alternate germination : Seeds germinate as water works its way to the interior allows for acid generation to break down to exterior and allow the sprout and radicle to come out. Therefore it holds that total immersion in water will allow for quickest germination; because there's no air, mold won't grow well. I toss my seeds on a bed of hydroton in a tiny little pot sitting in a bucket of water ( I use those larger yogurt containers as the "bucket" ) with the airstone connected to the air pump sitting in that bucket. Alternately, you can just toss the seed into the bucket to germinate it; my starting seeds in the hydroton is a prep for hydro - you can just germinate the seedling in the aerated water, then carefully pour it into your soil.
its been a week since ive started to try to germ these seeds, and none have sprouted yet. i squished some of the ones i still have in a baggy and they diddnt crack or break appart from sqeezing. im going to let them try for another week, but if not im just ganna toss them.
i, unlike other growers, prefer the old fashioned way to start seeds. the way our ancestors have been doing it for thousands of years. i plant them right in the dirt. i ordered seeds from attitude about 2-3 months ago, put them all in the dirt, and i received a 100% success ratio. every one sprouted. get a 36 cell flat, fill it with dirt (get a sphagnum peat moss mixture like pro-mix or advanced sunshine mix #4) and plant those bad boys (hopefully girls, actually ) in there. you can use a heat mat if you would like......but as soon as you see something sprout turn it off! good luck. seeds from the 80's will probably be bomb. -OSUB
Acutally OSUB our strains today are so much more potent they make 80's strains look like tobacco. And your germination method would pose serious problems for people like me who don't grow in dirt.
thats what its a method.... and yes they are more potent but it would actually an amazing thing cause all strains no adays can be traced back to about 4 or so strains. meaning all the BID BUD ak 4001 (exageration) space invaders, blorg berry are all im breeds and there are no real pure sativa's or indica's and a seed from the 80's would be less washed so it would have more of stonger genetic structure i would say
[quote name='"holdenbuda"']thats what its a method.... and yes they are more potent but it would actually an amazing thing cause all strains no adays can be traced back to about 4 or so strains. meaning all the BID BUD ak 4001 (exageration) space invaders, blorg berry are all im breeds and there are no real pure sativa's or indica's and a seed from the 80's would be less washed so it would have more of stonger genetic structure i would say[/quote] I (kinda) understand that trail of thought BUT, breaders haven't "washed" genetics! As we ALL know when granny makes stew she starts with a good "stock" and adds the other ingredients to amass a tasty meal. The sames true here only the stocks that 80's landrace seed your talking about and the other ingredients are other strains! Anyway surely ALL oldenday seeds come from a mix of genetics? ! Back when Ugg and Uyy lived in a cave and smoked the bush that grew outside their home, that bush wasn't placed by God! He didn't lower it into the earth and name it "skunk#0" it was the product of pollination of 2 varietys of weed. Pollen spores fly miles on a light breeze. Lol ugg n uyy were sampling the outcome of some mad naturally selected strain. These days we have lost the strains that ugg had. But unless all cannabis is Ruderallis (self seeding) it only ever changes. Even pure strains aren't pure strains in anything but name. I am baked
they're more "pure" than the strains out today. i am personally a big fan of heirloom/landrace/heritage plants (and that goes for plants other than weed). to that guy above a few posts ago ^^ it all has to do with genetics.........you have to remember that back in the 80's most people didnt grow high quality pot and purchased mexican brick weed (along with their snow white powder ).....im not saying all, im just saying most........so yeah on average the THC content would be way lower.....quality is all about genetics. -OSUB
What I'm talking about is THC content and the average back in the 80's was 6% and I'm growin white lightning and white widow with +20% THC content. All I'm sayin is if it's just bag seed its probably bunk shit. In recent decades breeders have selectively choosen phenotypes and made the potent strains we have now. I'm not tryin to flame anyone here I just don't wanna anyone to be under the misconception that since it's seeds from the 70's they'll have bad ass potent plants for sure. In fact the opposite is more likely to be the outcome. My idea of quality is yeild, THC content, vigor, and user friendliness when it comes to cannabis. I buy strains that have all these aspects and then cross them myself and look for the best phenotypes. I then breed them through to at least the 8th filial generation preferably to the 10th. It takes me anywhere from 2.5-3yrs to stabalize a strain. I have 8 that I'm workin on now I just recently received 3 new ones too from marijuana-seeds.nl. Peace
[quote name='"OSUB"']they're more "pure" than the strains out today. i am personally a big fan of heirloom/landrace/heritage plants (and that goes for plants other than weed). to that guy above a few posts ago ^^ it all has to do with genetics.........you have to remember that back in the 80's most people didnt grow high quality pot and purchased mexican brick weed (along with their snow white powder ).....im not saying all, im just saying most........so yeah on average the THC content would be way lower.....quality is all about genetics. -OSUB[/quote] Can I ask how old YOU are? I smoked through 80s lol. Not that I've a point just saying. So is your point that bud nowadays is stronger or weaker ? Or that its just different? Obviously cannabis does change all plants I guess do(ish) look at tomatoes etc! A Spanish ones different to a greek one! I think all we've done (us all here in 2012 that is) is advanced cannabis. As you said budd in 80s on street level was tosh so "adding" other strains in the mix has given rise to todays 22+%thc monster plants! If I ever had a point its lost!
[quote name='"jinn420"'] What I'm talking about is THC content and the average back in the 80's was 6% and I'm growin white lightning and white widow with +20% THC content. All I'm sayin is if it's just bag seed its probably bunk shit. In recent decades breeders have selectively choosen phenotypes and made the potent strains we have now. I'm not tryin to flame anyone here I just don't wanna anyone to be under the misconception that since it's seeds from the 70's they'll have bad ass potent plants for sure. In fact the opposite is more likely to be the outcome. My idea of quality is yeild, THC content, vigor, and user friendliness when it comes to cannabis. I buy strains that have all these aspects and then cross them myself and look for the best phenotypes. I then breed them through to at least the 8th filial generation preferably to the 10th. It takes me anywhere from 2.5-3yrs to stabalize a strain. I have 8 that I'm workin on now I just recently received 3 new ones too from marijuana-seeds.nl. Peace[/quote] Yes see that's the truth. Breading improves not ruins!B-) jahh
[quote name='"salviaaddict"']hello, my name is cam. i am new to growing but i have something i think noone else has. i have stumbled accross some seeds from 1983. they were from the last harvest from my grandma's plants when she was a grower. i honestly dont know how they were stored for 20 years but when i saw them they were in a sealed bag. she said they have just been in her droor since she got them. i have been germinating them for 4days, and none of the seeds look to be sprouting at all. i know since they are older it takes more time but how much more time? she gave them to me as a big "if" thing ya know? is it even possible to grow seeds from so long ago? and a lil side note, the seeds are a little bit smaller then a seed u got a week ago. If anyone can help me or give me some advise i would greatly appreciate it.[/quote] But noo in answer to your question imho from my sources (37yrs of cultivation) the seeds will not pop! I heard in a'dam all bean companies bin stocks of beans once every 7yrs
Yeah I know and most of the advances in cannabis breeding techniques occurred in the last few decades. Most of these strains just weren't around yet and everyone was smoking mexican ditch weed. Thats's why even after being blazed for every waking minute for the last 6 weeks off my recent harvest it still only took me 3 or 4 small bowls(about 1.5 grams for whole day) to stay high all day.
Yeah if their just sitting in a container in a cool place 7 years sounds right. If you freeze em below 0 degrees then 20-30 years shouldn't be a probem. I never had much hope those beans would pop I just figured screw it let em try. After 2 weeks if my beans don't pop I figure their toast and rotting inside. Usually mine pop in a day or two I place em on a shelf above my tv if I need some gentle heat to speed things up.
i have personally seen some of the worst performing hybrid plants ever (not just weed). hybrids arent always "better." but, than again, i have seen some awesome hybrid plants. ill say it again.......its all about genetics. 2,000 year old seed germinated! -OSUB