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Zeedman · April 29, 2012

Just a quick note about eggplant seed longevity. I am testing much of my older seed this year, gathering information on variety-specific storage life. I tested "Casper" and "Diamond" this year:

Casper - 2005 seed, 15/36, erratic germination
Diamond - 2005 seed, 35/36 - virtually 100%!!!

This was for seed processed by the above methods, and stored in ziplock freezer bags (with excess air squeezed out) placed in dark envelopes in an air-conditioned room. The seed was planted in plastic cells filled with soil-less starter mix, then placed in a lighted, temperature-controlled germination enclosure set to 75 degrees F.

Casper seems to have erratic germination by nature (even my original seed performed that way) but shows significant deterioration; I hope to renew it this year. After several years of testing, I have yet to find the limitations of Diamond's storage life.

Plant vigor, fruit ripeness, processing technique & storage conditions will all affect storage life, so as they say, "your results may vary". However, the vastly different results from just two varieties show that there may not be a "one size fits all" answer to the storage life for eggplant seed.

April 29, 2012	#15
Zeedman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 313	eggplant seed longevity Just a quick note about eggplant seed longevity. I am testing much of my older seed this year, gathering information on variety-specific storage life. I tested "Casper" and "Diamond" this year: Casper - 2005 seed, 15/36, erratic germination Diamond - 2005 seed, 35/36 - virtually 100%!!! This was for seed processed by the above methods, and stored in ziplock freezer bags (with excess air squeezed out) placed in dark envelopes in an air-conditioned room. The seed was planted in plastic cells filled with soil-less starter mix, then placed in a lighted, temperature-controlled germination enclosure set to 75 degrees F. Casper seems to have erratic germination by nature (even my original seed performed that way) but shows significant deterioration; I hope to renew it this year. After several years of testing, I have yet to find the limitations of Diamond's storage life. Plant vigor, fruit ripeness, processing technique & storage conditions will all affect storage life, so as they say, "your results may vary". However, the vastly different results from just two varieties show that there may not be a "one size fits all" answer to the storage life for eggplant seed.