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seeds Has anyone sprouted seed from frozen pods?

I feel like the freezing could damage the tissues in the seed.. Not saying it's impossible though. But I don't think I would go freezing seeds that I plan on using
 
I did this year as an experiment. I froze all my pods this last year before I thought about saving seeds. They were in the freezer for about a month. Some of the types I had 50% germination, some I had 100%. All in all not the greatest rates so plant extras.
 
Yes, I`ve tried it quite a few times. The germination rates I`ve seen have been as high as 50% and as low as 0%  :P  It is well worth trying, if all you have are frozen pods with frozen seeds. 
 
I currently have around 5 or 6 types of seeds taken from frozen pods that I`m trying to germinate. I`m trying seeds straight from frozen pods, seeds from quick-thawed pods, seeds from slow-thawed pods and seeds from slow-thawed pods left out until the pods dry naturally. I also have some Gibberallic acid on order to see if it will make a difference to the germination rates of seeds from frozen pods. 
 
i tried it with some frozen MA WIRI WIRI pods i got from a Guyanese friend who brought them back from Guyana, it didn't work :tear:
 
freezing seems kills the embryo when the seeds are wet,for example inside pods
its not imposable as Nigel and a few other mentioned
i compost pods that are green right in the garden rows and many pop up the next season
 
it doent seem to bother them a all when there dry
 
thanks your friend Joe
 
IGNORE EVERYTHING ABOVE. Yes, I have sprouted seeds from pods that had been in the freezer for 6 months, and got 100% germination. Don't fool yourself - I had 48 plants that year!  (Considering I am the only one eating the pods, that's a lot for one person.)
 
The thing to keep in mind is that seeds freeze in nature all the time - why would your freezer be any different? Here's the deal - just like with any other seed, the maturity of the pod they came from is all-important. If you froze the pod when it was fully mature, the seeds will be fine. Also, just like with any other seed, if the pod had any virus/bacteria/fungus, it likely got on the seeds. Do yourself a favor and soak the seeds in hydrogen peroxide a bit (or a mix of hydrogen peroxide and water up to overnight) to kill off any unseen nasties. What about this is different from any precaution you should take with ANY seeds? I've seen too many people hypothesize without taking the time to give it a try. Do it!
 
I had a few sprout in my compost pile that froze solid the first year. I think about 5-6 Carribean reds. Frozen from I'd guess late November to March that year.
 
I tried about 15 seeds. Got zero. Lol. I had some selected pods I wanted to grow out. And wife was kind enough to keep the pods from rotting and threw them in the freezer :crazy:
 
 
The thing to keep in mind is that seeds freeze in nature all the time
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Pepper seeds don't.
Thats why they are annuals where it freezes and not perinnials.
Some plants require freezing, some require passing through some animal gut, some require certain soil or water conditions.
 
But nature always finds a way, so you have nothing to lose if you try, just plant more.
 
My highest germination rate comes from naturally dried seeds from fully ripe pods.
 
That sounds like a nice little experiment Nigel. I was just wondering cause I am curious lol. I will do a test on 10 seeds that came from pods that were frozen for 2 months and see what kind of results I get. Please keep me updated on how yours turns out.
 
Nigel said:
Yes, I`ve tried it quite a few times. The germination rates I`ve seen have been as high as 50% and as low as 0%  :P  It is well worth trying, if all you have are frozen pods with frozen seeds. 
 
I currently have around 5 or 6 types of seeds taken from frozen pods that I`m trying to germinate. I`m trying seeds straight from frozen pods, seeds from quick-thawed pods, seeds from slow-thawed pods and seeds from slow-thawed pods left out until the pods dry naturally. I also have some Gibberallic acid on order to see if it will make a difference to the germination rates of seeds from frozen pods. 
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Well I was thinking that because we are basically flash freezing the seed. The moisture in the seed would crystallize and burst the embryo. Plants in the wild don't go from 70 degrees to 30 in a few minutes. And just to be clear I'm not talking about dried pods being frozen but fresh pods.
 
geeme said:
The thing to keep in mind is that seeds freeze in nature all the time - why would your freezer be any different?
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gonna have to give it another try
 
i have some frozen pods of
WILD BRAZIL
AJI OMNI COLOR
AJI PINEAPPLE
 
i could do an experiment with and see what happens
after all i only ever tried it once
thanks your friend Joe
 
All the seeds I germinated were from fresh pods that I just put into ziploc bags and then into the freezer. Also, regarding pepper seeds freezing in nature - sure they do. How many peppers originate in the Andes mountains? Are pepper plants perennials, yes, no doubt about it. But they can tolerate some very low dips in temperature. I'm now in N.E. Ohio and grow in pots outside. My mature plants have been outside when nighttime temps dip down to the 30's(F) and were fine. And consider - they were in pots, which makes them more prone to the roots getting cold than if the plants were in the ground. Also, birds are known not to experience the "burn" of capsaicin, and some do eat pepper pods - surely they scatter seeds via their droppings in all kinds of frozen places. Regardless, if I can get 100% germination from seeds that were frozen in fully-mature pods, there's nothing to say you shouldn't give it a go, yourself. There are no guarantees regardless of your seed source, anyway. I say give it a go - you'll know in a week or two if they're going to sprout or not, so what have you got to lose?
 
Please keep me updated if you do it Joe. It would be nice to know what kind of percentages we get from fresh vs frozen pods.
 
ajijoe said:
gonna have to give it another try
 
i have some frozen pods of
WILD BRAZIL
AJI OMNI COLOR
AJI PINEAPPLE
 
i could do an experiment with and see what happens
after all i only ever tried it once
thanks your friend Joe
Click to expand...
 
Paul44 said:
It does work, expect 0% as you have damaged the seed but I have still had some really good results from frozen and shop bought dried pods too!
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I have had some good results, not all popped up but a fair few germinated. Didn't have a control to compare though. Good luck everyone!
 
Sm1nts2escape said:
Please keep me updated if you do it Joe. It would be nice to know what kind of percentages we get from fresh vs frozen pods.
 
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im still thinking about weather i will or not bother with it when i have plenty of viable seeds that i can just plant and have something for certain and it will be a little while yet till i get tom, it but if i do i will let you/everyone know how it turned out
 
thanks your friend Joe
 
 
Of the five-domesticated/cultivated capsicum species (Annuum, Chinense, Pubescens, Frutescens & Annuum), Pubescens tend to over winter best in my experience. Their natural climate is the cool upper slopes of the Andes Mountains and they can quite happily tolerate the lower winter temperatures. No pepper plants will survive a hard penetrating frost though. Water molecules in the plants root system expand when they freeze causing permanent and fatal damage. Varieties such as Rocoto and Manzano normally over winter very well with little more damage than a little leaf drop. I tend to leave immature pods on the plant. Although growth is slow to non-existent, they tend to ripen when the hours of daylight lengthen & weather improves. Capsicum Eximium, a closely related wild relative of Pubescens and other wild species like Chacoense and Pratermissum also over winter well.

 
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TheChileMan.org.
"Cool upper slopes of the Andes" not frozen tundra. :P
Unless you are desperate, and maybe froze a couple you really wanted to grow, an envelope and a windowsill is all that is needed to dry them.
 
My personal experience is very low germ rates on frozen, very high on dried.
Try both and decide for yourself.
 
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