That is incredibly poor % for rocotos. Unless you purchased seed from the infamous Reimers the % should easily be in the 90s and germination time within 10 days, 2 weeks max at 85°F or so. If I don't see a radicle in 4-6 days (I surface sow) I replant.
After-ripening and slow drying will help raise the %. Let the pods age another 3-4 weeks after full maturity before harvesting seeds and very slowly air dry the seeds at room temps works for me. It took a couple years to figure out that even though a rocoto pod looks ripe and may have been mature color for several days it is not fully mature until the seeds have turned black or a very dark brown.
Chiltepin... and C. galapagoense. A whole nother story.
jt
|