HYB: germination data

Just took these out of the fridge to examine.  Harvested July, 2008.
3 pods, 225 apparently good seeds, HARVEST OF MEMORIES X probably ABBONDANZA (some label mixups may have resulted in one or more of these pods being X KISSED BY THE SUN or something else)
pods in fridge for 2 months, shelled, rinsed, wrapped in damp paper towel, placed in baggie for a third month. Average fridge temp ~45oF? That's what it is today - will see how much it varies with room temp.
After 3rd month in fridge, 33 sprouting seeds survived to line out size (no notes on how many actually sprouted).
Remaining seeds left in burrito in fridge, checked every few days or week for new sprouts.
No detailed notes on germination after that, but there was a pause of a few weeks, then another wave of sprouts potted up, possibly a third wave, resulting in an additional 55 surviving seedlings moved to two 8 inch mum pots in Miracle Gro potting mix (where they will probably remain till I see what the 33 lined out ones look like next spring).
Remaining seeds left unattended in burrito until this morning - 60 seeds have rotted since the last time I inspected them closely in ?Jan? Feb? Mar?.
40 of the remaining sound seeds planted this morning in 8 inch mum pot of Miracle Gro Potting mix, placed on floor in front of the AC, temperature ~70oF, 22 placed back in the fridge to be planted when it cools off this fall.
Unaccounted for seeds (225 minus 33 minus 55 minus 40 minus 22 = 75) either were unsound to begin with, rotted during the first three months in the fridge, or died sometime after transplanting to pots last winter. Based on what I generally see, my wild guess is that around a third of those were not "real" seeds to start with, a third rotted, and a third died after germination and before lining out. So my best guess is that ~25 seeds may have rotted in the first 3 or 4 months in the fridge, another 60 since then.
That's a "lot" by just about any definition, but the majority that rotted were ~a year in the fridge, unattended for 3 to 6 months.
Not all that many in the first three months, but still could be more than 10% rotting or aborted seeds during that time. From this cross, 88 surviving seedlings is still plenty to suit me, but better success with smaller seed pods would be nice.. 

Ease & convenience of handling vs optimal success.....

Linda Mann

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