[Cazzy]

I saved my tomato seeds last year, followed the instructions to the letter and when I went to sow them the other day they were all soft 

I've sown them anyway but i'm not expecting them to germinate.

Anyone else came across this problem?

[zazen999]

How did you save them?

[kingdhesiii]

You have a heated greenhouse, otherwise you're a little early for toms aren't you.


Edited by Aunty

[Cazzy]

Hi Zazen, I followed the instructions on the Real Seed Catalogue website, it recommends the following......

".....Here you can seed the seed and juice squeezed into a jar & let ferment for 3 days (no more, no less!)

Good seeds sink and bad ones float.

(And, yes, it is supposed to be mouldy & smelly)

Water is added and poured off several times to clean them, the seed is rinsed in a sieve and put on a plate to dry....."

When they were completely dry I stored them in the ziplock bag that the original seed had come in.

Hi kingdhesiii, I'm doing them at home and they will live on my window cills till its warm enough to move them to the unheated greenhouse. 

[muckyboots]

HI Cazzy, i'v  saved mine for3 years ,didnt know there was a right way to do it .I just  put them on a tissue till dry then stored them with all my other seed ,planted out following season,all tickertyboo .Perhaps I was just lucky

[gillie]

"I just  put them on a tissue till dry then stored them with all my other seed ,planted out following season,all tickertyboo "

I have been doing this for years!  Come the Spring you can sow them tissue and all.

Gillie

[8doubles]

After washing the seed i put it on newspaper till the surface is dry, easier to scrape off than tissue then onto a plate  placed over a radiator or boiler for a couple of days just to make sure they are thoroughly dry.

[zazen999]

The only thing I can think of is that they weren't completely dry; here's hoping that they germinate for you.

[Cazzy]

The only thing I can think of is that they weren't completely dry; here's hoping that they germinate for you.

That was my thoughts Zazen, although they lay out to dry for weeks, they were in the kitchen which is always full of condensation.

Fingers crossed

[mumofstig]

But thinking about this tomato seeds are never hard even when dry are they?...
not like a cabbage seed is anyway

[Cazzy]

These have a slight 'fluffy' quality to them mum

[gillie]

Tomato seeds are a bit fluffy, and slightly bendy too.  If your seeds are not squishy and rotten I bet they are OK.

Gillie

[Cazzy]

Tomato seeds are a bit fluffy, and slightly bendy too.  If your seeds are not squishy and rotten I bet they are OK.

Gillie

Ah, I didn't know that Gillie, thanks.  They are definately not squishy or rotten.

[Cazzy]

I've sown them anyway but i'm not expecting them to germinate.

Well I couldn't have been more wrong, I chucked them all in hoping for a few and looks like they all germinated, i've about 100 seedlings now    Oh well someone on freecycle will be happy to take the excess i'm sure.