Seed Do freshly harvested seeds need a dormancy period?

[dioptase]

This spring I bought a 6-pack of 'Salanova Red Butter' lettuce from the nursery. DH and I really liked it, so I let it go to seed and harvested the seeds, drying them for maybe a week or so at room temperature before packing them into a coin envelope. I've been trying to start some of them (for the fall garden) and have been having terrible germination, easily < 33%. (I usually sow at least 3 seeds per 6-pack cell; I only have 5 seedlings up after a couple of weeks.)

Recalling the trick about using an H2O2 soak for "old" seeds, I soaked some of the seeds in H2O2 this morning, and then planted them into the empty cell in the 6-pack. I am hoping for at least ONE seed to germinate and give me a plant, though really, if these were seeds I had bought and/or had stored in my fridge, the germination would be much better than that.

The only thing that I can think of (I can't believe the room temperature is a factor, we have a/c) is that maybe the freshly harvested lettuce seeds need some sort of dormancy period/cold period before they will germinate.

Does anyone have any experience with trying to germinate freshly harvested (but then dried) seed? Do you get good results? Are any special tricks needed?

 

[summerthyme]

Were they completely mature (the plants were dead dry) before you harvested them? We grow a winter lettuce I got my my Amish neighbor... it seeds itself, and the seedlings come up around now... it overwinters and then gives you fresh lettuce in mid-spring. So I don't believe there is any dormant period necessary.

Lettuce really prefers cool soil... maybe try putting your pots in the fridge for 48 hours, then pull them out and see.

Summerthyme

 

[dioptase]

The FLOWERS that I harvested the seeds from were dry. (I can't leave those plants in place forever; I need the garden space.)

I mentioned dormancy because I know that seeds from some other plants (dormant daylilies and I believe bearded irises are examples) require a cold dormancy period before they will germinate.

Not much room in the fridge, and with 5 seedlings already up in that 6-pack, I don't want to put it in the dark (fridge), but that's a thought going forward, thanks. (Fwiw, I start ALL my lettuce seedlings indoors, under lights, and have not had problems with germination before at room temperature.)

 

[Slydersan]

I had the same issue/question about turnip seeds. I grew some purple globe turnips last year. I apparently left one in the ground last fall but had cut it in half from top to bottom with my shovel. Which apparently just ticked it off. Cuz it re-sprouted. So I decided to just let it grow over the winter and see what happened. Well it didn't do a whole lot, we had some good freezes and even a little bit of snow (in Maryland) over the winter, but it survived. So this spring I decided to move it to a new spot. I carefully (I thought) dug around it, to transplant it, but ended up breaking the "root" in half, width wise this time. And that must have really made it angry, because it absolutely took off. The greens ended up being about 3 feet tall and it grew really pretty yellow flowers all spring and summer and made literally HUNDREDS of seed pods. I started joking with my neighbors that I had made a new variety that I was going to call the Invincible turnip, because I could not kill it.

I would let the seed pods dry completely out, and pick them and keep them in a big paper sack. Finally this summer it decided it was done plaguing me with seed pods and quietly died. I picked every last pod I could and did the best thing I could think of for it and put it in my compost pile. LOL Oddly enough it never really grew a "turnip" after everything, just lots of greens and seeds. I went through the tedious process of getting all the seeds out of the pods and ended up with maybe 1 cup full - which seemed kind of skimpy to me. But with only 3-4 seeds per 1"+ pod I guess it's not too bad.

Anyways I tried planting some about a month ago and figured I would be swamped with turnips. Nope. Only 1 germinated and a bug quickly got to it and killed it. So ??? What happened? Do turnip seends need a refrigerator nap or something ?

 

[summerthyme]

One thing on lettuce seeds... they need light to germinate, so should just be pressed into the soil, not covered...

Summerthyme

 

[dioptase]

Well, in an attempt to fill in that last space in the 6-pack, I soaked some more seeds in H2O2 and then put them in there, barely covered. (I posted that previously.) Yesterday I saw seedlings emerging! (So that was Monday planted, Friday emergence.)

Now I need to nuke some more seed starting mix (to keep the gnats down, otherwise I am subject to an endless stream of bad "gnat" puns from DH), and start more lettuce seed (different kinds - I like variety). 'Flashy Trout's Back' will be one - it is a lovely heirloom Romaine lettuce which is not your typical Romaine... it has a buttery texture and taste. DH hates Romaine lettuce but he likes the Trout's Back (and couldn't believe it was a Romaine).