seeds Frozen Pepper seeds

Papyrus · Dec 8, 2017

Hello Everyone,

I feel like I should know the answer to this but don't. If I freeze whole pods, will the seeds inside still be viable? I know it may reduce the germination rate but I don't know about 100% of the seeds. I'm guessing it'll toast all of them as peppers don't normally inhabit climates where the ground freezes?

Anyone mind weighing in.

Y'all the hot sauce, thanks.

JDFan · Dec 8, 2017

AS you already said it will reduce the germ rate but will not kill them all -- seeds of all types survive winter weather outdoors in all environments so will survive freezing - but if they have a high water content some of them will be killed off due to the water expanding when it freezes causing damage to the inside of the seed - but most will survive.

Hawaiianero · Dec 8, 2017

JDFan said:
AS you already said it will reduce the germ rate but will not kill them all -- seeds of all types survive winter weather outdoors in all environments so will survive freezing - but if they have a high water content some of them will be killed off due to the water expanding when it freezes causing damage to the inside of the seed - but most will survive.

I agree high water content will expand in the seed when frozen thereby killing it but there's more to it than that when it comes to pepper seeds since they are a warm-weather plant. A lot depends on how quickly it freezes meaning, pods laid out in a single layer to freeze will have more viable seeds than a gallon ziplock full of pods. The slower it takes to freeze, the less chances of seed survival.

Having said that, I bet you could ask a number of people in here who have been doing this for years, Mother Nature don't give a crap about scientific theory. She'll let a seed germinate after it goes through all kinds of hell and at the same time stop a seed from germinating no matter what you do to keep it healthy and viable.

AJ Drew · Dec 8, 2017

I agree with above comments but want to add that i nature, it tends to be the seeds that dry before freezing that survive winter the best.

DWB · Dec 8, 2017

The doomsday seed vault, deep in Norwegian permafrost, stores seeds at −18 °C (−0.4 °F) but they are dried.

Edmick · Dec 8, 2017

People have volunteers pop up all the time that survived the freeze of winter.

Hafners · Dec 8, 2017

We've actually had pretty good success germinating seeds from frozen pods, some of which were in the deep freeze for a couple years. Although I would recommend using the paper towel method.

shooter · Dec 18, 2017

The millennium seed bank (kew gardens) recomend -20 c so it would seem around -18 to -20 c would be the norm for most seeds Internet seed bank design by kew gardens download.