brown/black tomato seeds?

ChrisK · August 4, 2012

From a tomato I squeezed the seeds from this morning about 1/2 are a very dark brownish color. They definitely have an embryo in them. Any thoughts on keeping them? Have experience with germination?

Chris

ddsack · August 7, 2012

On two occasions, I did a germination test on dark seeds that I separated out from the others. The first time I included the spotted seeds that are partially dark as well. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ght=dark+seeds The germination for those ran about 30%.

Last december I did another test on just some all dark seeds - saved from various dwarfs in the project, meant to discard them after germination, but ended up keep five over the winter and they have been happily fruiting despite being housed in rather small 2-3 gallon pots. The germination for those black seeds ran about 20%. The plants are fine and healthy.

My small test results may not hold true as a generality for seeds that are just generally darker colored, or brown due to other causes such as over long fermentation. But it's just good to know that if you are low on seeds of a variety and have dark ones among them, don't discard them assuming they are "bad."

It would be great if a few others would save out their dark seeds for germination tests. I'd love to know if my 20-30% germination rates would hold up.

ChrisK · August 8, 2012

Interesting. Thanks for the info. I kept all of them.

Tormato · August 8, 2012

I've never had totally dark seeds. I have dark spotted ones. These have near 100% germination.

Gary

bower · August 8, 2012

I found dark seeds in ripe fruit with BER. I didn't save them. Also found a few in fruit with mostly hollow seed cavities, little gel and few seeds. Scorched fruit I might add, very sunscald.

Other than that, I have tossed a few dark ones when packing up the dry seed.

Considering that I don't have a controlled fermentation process with inoculum, relying instead on the household spores that might be around, I couldn't be sure if the dark seeds were somewhat damaged by something in the culture, which you would not want to introduce around a sprouting seedling, or pass on to someone in a seed swap. (same goes for whatever organisms rot the fruit in BER).

I have seen dark seeds in peppers as well, and I did try to germinate some small and dark seeds from a pepperoncini, but did not get many to sprout. Those seeds didn't appear rotted or contaminated, simply that they failed to receive enough nutrients to make a fat healthy seed or were still green when the fruit stopped growing.

August 4, 2012	#1
ChrisK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,448	brown/black tomato seeds? From a tomato I squeezed the seeds from this morning about 1/2 are a very dark brownish color. They definitely have an embryo in them. Any thoughts on keeping them? Have experience with germination? Chris

August 7, 2012	#2
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	On two occasions, I did a germination test on dark seeds that I separated out from the others. The first time I included the spotted seeds that are partially dark as well. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ght=dark+seeds The germination for those ran about 30%. Last december I did another test on just some all dark seeds - saved from various dwarfs in the project, meant to discard them after germination, but ended up keep five over the winter and they have been happily fruiting despite being housed in rather small 2-3 gallon pots. The germination for those black seeds ran about 20%. The plants are fine and healthy. My small test results may not hold true as a generality for seeds that are just generally darker colored, or brown due to other causes such as over long fermentation. But it's just good to know that if you are low on seeds of a variety and have dark ones among them, don't discard them assuming they are "bad." It would be great if a few others would save out their dark seeds for germination tests. I'd love to know if my 20-30% germination rates would hold up. __________________ Dee **************

August 8, 2012	#3
ChrisK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,448	Interesting. Thanks for the info. I kept all of them.

August 8, 2012	#4
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	I've never had totally dark seeds. I have dark spotted ones. These have near 100% germination. Gary

August 8, 2012	#5
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I found dark seeds in ripe fruit with BER. I didn't save them. Also found a few in fruit with mostly hollow seed cavities, little gel and few seeds. Scorched fruit I might add, very sunscald. Other than that, I have tossed a few dark ones when packing up the dry seed. Considering that I don't have a controlled fermentation process with inoculum, relying instead on the household spores that might be around, I couldn't be sure if the dark seeds were somewhat damaged by something in the culture, which you would not want to introduce around a sprouting seedling, or pass on to someone in a seed swap. (same goes for whatever organisms rot the fruit in BER). I have seen dark seeds in peppers as well, and I did try to germinate some small and dark seeds from a pepperoncini, but did not get many to sprout. Those seeds didn't appear rotted or contaminated, simply that they failed to receive enough nutrients to make a fat healthy seed or were still green when the fruit stopped growing.