I've been growing Kung Pao for several years. (Kung Pao is a hybrid, but I haven't noticed much difference how it grows from saved seed.) Anyhow, the plants I grew last year were definitely not the same. I think they'd crossed with some Korean peppers supplied by Bootsieb.
So, I went back to some pods saved from the 2010 crop and did a germination test with the 3-year-old seeds. I checked this morning and found that 7 out of 17 seeds had popped overnight.
I hadn't stored these pods anyway special, because I wasn't planning to use the seeds. I keep my seed collection in the refrigerator.
So, lesson learned is that seeds for this variety have at least a 3-year life. I thought this information might be helpful since the longevity question comes up now and then.
So, I went back to some pods saved from the 2010 crop and did a germination test with the 3-year-old seeds. I checked this morning and found that 7 out of 17 seeds had popped overnight.
I hadn't stored these pods anyway special, because I wasn't planning to use the seeds. I keep my seed collection in the refrigerator.
So, lesson learned is that seeds for this variety have at least a 3-year life. I thought this information might be helpful since the longevity question comes up now and then.
. I'm sure past our lifespans. The germination rate will go down as time goes on though.
