Just wondering if seed can be sprouted from frozen pods?
-
If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.
seeds Has anyone sprouted seed from frozen pods?
- Thread starter Sm1nts2escape
- Start date
I heard it works but have never tried.
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
it works but with low rates
i did try that before out of 20 seeds only one made it
i did try that before out of 20 seeds only one made it
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% 
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.
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 
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
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!
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 
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.
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.
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%
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.
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:
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:
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 outSm1nts2escape said:
thanks your friend Joe
TheChileMan.org.
"Cool upper slopes of the Andes" not frozen tundra.
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.