[Stevens706]

I forgot to save some of my Red Pear heirloom tomato seeds for this year, however I have some of the tomatoes in my freezer, I am hoping to defrost one collect the seed and sow them. I wonder if anyone has used frozen seed before and been successful.

[mumofstig]

I've never done it myself but in the seedbank stores they are deep frozen for longterm storage, so I would say it's well worth trying to germinate some.

Let us know how you get on

[joyfull]

nothing to lose so I would agree with MoS and give it a go 

[DD.]

Having done a Google search,there's a few posts on other fourma about this and the concensus is that it should be OK.

A lot advise doing  a chitting test on moist kitchen towel first.

[8doubles]

I think that dried seed is frozen for storage, with undried seed the moisture inside the seed expands and will damage it.

Worth a try though but don`t expect good results.

[tosca100]

I bought a load of seed last Autumn and put them in a plastic storage box in the shed. Didn't give them a thought till I noticed them today, but as other things, like tinned beans and bottled water have frozen in that cold spell we had before Christmas, I'm presuming they froze too. With them being dry will they be OK do you think? Or should I take advantage of cheap seeds now available?

All opinions gratefully recieved.

[Kristen]

I agree, they use dried seeds for long term storage (1% reduction in moisture doubles the keeping time, as does 1C less provided seed is dry)

But I get Tomatoes comping up all over the garden from seeds in the compost heap ... even after a cold Winter ... so you may well be OK.

The kitchen-paper germination-test will save disappointment - and pot up any that germinate!

[Stevens706]

Thanks for your replies I do intend to try it, what I will do is defrost some today and try to germinate some straight away, I know that it’s too early to grow them on but at least I’ll know if it will work.
I will let everyone know how it goes.

[Trillium]

All I can say is that in fall I often don't get around to picking up dozens of fallen tomatoes that land in the garden, and after our winter deep freezes, I swear every fallen seed sprouts because that's the main part of my spring weeding - removing hundreds of volunteer tomatoes.

To add to this, when my grandfather first came to Canada, he wanted to grow his own food as he did back home but had no money, so he used to go to the city's sewage lagoons (long before treatment plants existed) in spring and simply scoop up the healthiest growing tomato plants. These were from seeds which had been cooked, digested, flushed down sewage lines, frozen all winter, and grew in spring. Now how determined is that?

[tosca100]

Mmmmm yummy! Very resourceful that, brilliant.

[Stevens706]

Trillium I remember when I was young (er!!!) one of my friends dad bought some processed manure blocks a by-product from a sewage works and these sprouted tomato plants while still stacked in a pile.

[Sharonx]

last year when we made passata Hubby decided it was a good idea to tip all the juice & seeds from th tomatoes into our 2 Olive Tree pots. This was then covered in snow & ice in the winter.  In the summer we had endless tomato seedlings popping up literally 100's of them, so I think you will find they will be fine, if the can survive being outside for a whole year in all weathers i'm sure yours will be ok too