storage of seed especially bulb seed

[melager]

Hi all
I have just discovered from Ron Mud and then read a bit from Susan that you should not store frit seed in fridge before sowing, bother bother bother as that is always what I had been led to believe was the correct way, so hope I have not killed the seeds.
What other bulb seeds or in fact any seeds should not be stored in fridge before sowing.

Hope I get lots of response as I HATE making mistakes and loosing seeds

Mel

[t00lie]

The following link with images might be of some help in respect of Frit.seed Mel.

pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/FritillariaGermination

[Matt T]

Mel, many seeds continue their development after they have been shed. Some need warm conditions to do this, some cool. The requirements can be very species-specific. I recommend you take a look at the works by Deno, which gives some useful advice re. germination requirements for many species/genera: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=8368.0

For Frit seed, my understanding is that development of the embryos is triggered by cold but this may only be also in the presence of moisture? I received Frit seeds in Jan 2015, stored them in a cool, dry place in an unheated room and sowed them in October 2015. Germination is happening now and is good. I don't know what kind of temperatures you experience through your summer, but excess heat could be equally detrimental to the viability of seed in storage.

Without knowing what a particular species requires, you might do well to keep all seeds in a cool, dry place (an unheated room, not the fridge) after harvest for a couple of months. After this period, most are best sown (i.e. it will be the autumn and optimum time to sow bulb seeds). The viability of many seeds may be prolonged if kept in cooler conditions, which will do no great harm in many cases, but species differ in their requirements. For some species, you can actually help trigger germination by artificial periods of chilling and warming for specific periods.

There is still much for us all to learn about germination processes and plants always surprise us.

[Matt T]

I'm also reminded of Susan Band's advice to delay sowing seeds of American Frit species until mid-winter. They germinate much faster than those from other parts of the world (which are best sown in autumn) so later sowing means you won't have delicate seedlings to nurse through the winter months.

[Maggi Young]

Mel, I'm sure you know what I'm going to say ...... read the Bulb Log ! 

Click here for the new  Bulb Log Index from Len Rhind   :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/index.pdf

[Yann]

2 months ago i received seeds (Bellevalia, Crocus and Allium) that had been stored with a procedure of cryopreservation.
I was a bit dubious when the person told me about the seeds viability.
In fact 90% of the pots germinated.
I also received seeds from a CZ collector who use this process, giving the same 90% result.

Don't know if they use liquid nitrogen but seeds looked very fresh.

[Maggi Young]

Without knowing what a particular species requires, you might do well to keep all seeds in a cool, dry place (an unheated room, not the fridge) after harvest for a couple of months. After this period, most are best sown (i.e. it will be the autumn and optimum time to sow bulb seeds).

 The  policy of NOT  putting many bulb seeds  in the fridge until several weeks after harvest  is a good one. Many of these seedsare still maturing after harvest and premature chilling can cause  deep dormancy or lack of  viability.

[melager]

thanks to all of you for your words of wisdom and yes Maggi I know what you were going to say, I have always put my seeds in fridge. not particularly straight after harvest as I am still gathering, but all seed I buy or get given if its not the correct time to sow I always used to put in the fridge, but just read a week ago on the frit group forum from Ron Mudd that you so not put frits in fridge so that put me in a panic, I have now taken all seeds out of fridge.
Timing of sowing seed I am ok with,
did some experimenting with lights but ended up just doing the natural thing,

  Mel

[Gabriela]

2 months ago i received seeds (Bellevalia, Crocus and Allium) that had been stored with a procedure of cryopreservation.
I was a bit dubious when the person told me about the seeds viability.
In fact 90% of the pots germinated.
I also received seeds from a CZ collector who use this process, giving the same 90% result.

This is very interesting Yann, but maybe a bit extreme if not done for long-term storage?
Was it a significant difference in the germination for Crocus let's say (that you obviously have lot of experience with compared with the germination of normally stored seeds?

[Yann]

I think it's used for long term storage and it can be interesting when you don't want to sow a complete batch of seeds you collected to a remote or a difficult to access area. You can this way sow each year your seeds stock.

There's an incredible difference, the seeds germinated within 1-2 weeks, and the difficult colchicum and iris in 2-3 weeks.
As if the last survival signal was received by the seeds. The seedlings are stronger than from those from dry/cold storage.

[melager]

Yann how do they actually treat the seed, what with. never heard of this before and sounds very interesting.

[Cfred72]

Yann how do they actually treat the seed, what with. never heard of this before and sounds very interesting.

Is not the same principle as that which is applied to global seed reserve? https://www.google.be/search?q=global+seed+reserve&biw=1426&bih=774&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi03vH86tPKAhVDJw4KHfMsDyMQsAQIOQ

[Maggi Young]

 As at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault .... https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/food-fisheries-and-agriculture/landbruk/svalbard-global-seed-vault/id462220/   

[Yann]

Mel i don't know how they proceed. Gonna send an email for inquiry.

[Yann]

I've found that about palms seeds (-196°c)
https://books.google.fr/books?id=1DMWBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT33&lpg=PT33&dq=cryogenic+storage+seeds&source=bl&ots=IUan_bm-Ca&sig=yEZ6YioWbi-maNnd2ycpK4Tr08M&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjil5HBqdTKAhWDVxQKHYx6B1E4FBDoAQggMAE#v=onepage&q=cryogenic%20storage%20seeds&f=false