@@plantpropagator I have got my cheap USB microscope working again, and I have been re-checking all my old seeds that I kept leftover from previously sown batches. Most of them look really good in the image, with a beautiful green embryo inside. Yet, they have been kept dried, at room temperature in paper envelopes for some time between 2 and 4 years already. Do you think there's a chance they might germinate after such a long time? They look great under the scope... what should I expect them to look like if they were not viable anymore? Should I give them a try? Some of these failed before, probably because of the harsh bleach disinfection process that I used, I want to retry using peroxide...
@@Naturamorpho It may be best to store your seed at fridge temps. Seed viability will go down over time, even in the fridge. They may not fare as well at room temp. Dry seed stores for a few years in the fridge but with loss of viability over time. Sure, you can try it - I still do not like using peroxide - the residual that most people leave around the seed will reduce viability.
When your stocks are low, don' wait for delivery! Give it a try with banana, chayote, tomatoes and sweet potatoes! Plus a tiny pinch of Peter's NPK... Lol, I swear it is fun to work with that amount of imprecision... It is a liberating feeling!😅Have a great time in the lab! Looks like there's a lot of catching up to do in there! Thx for sharing!
Thanks for your comment - happy to share! My media are very well defined - well - almost everything - I do still use banana. But, I am close to figuring out the component of banana that is contributing to nice growth of the orchids. I was able to make a lot of media so my next day in the lab is going to be very productive.
@@plantpropagator Just kidding, of course... Your expertise and highly scientific approach are among the many reasons I am such a fan! But, talking about it and giving it some more thought, I guess it would make for a great video topic if you could prepare some of this "fruit salad" medium that I use and put it to the comparison with the professional stuff. You see, I don't know how much of my slower growing times are due to the medium and how much of it is due to low tech sowing, sun light growing and poor gas exchange. So if you tried both under the same good techniques, it might be very interesting... Or maybe not?😆
@@Naturamorpho There are so many media formulations out there - it may be challenging to do a comparison of them all. I have compared my replate medium with the commercial replate medium that everyone else uses (P748) and my medium works way better for seedling growth of the cattleya seedlings that I have evaluated. One of my colleagues swears that the seeds that he places on trees grow much faster than in flasks.....
@@plantpropagator I believe the fruit salad medium will perform worse than any commercial type. I don't know just how worse! I could try to do it myself, buy some medium formulation (maybe P748) and compare it to my "vegie soup", but my technique is so imprecise that I don't think there would be much science value if I did it... thx again!
Very nice! I got a microscope this year for my birthday so now check my seeds like I learned in your videos!
That's great - it is nice to be able to look at them closely to see if they have nice embryos inside!
@@plantpropagator I have got my cheap USB microscope working again, and I have been re-checking all my old seeds that I kept leftover from previously sown batches. Most of them look really good in the image, with a beautiful green embryo inside. Yet, they have been kept dried, at room temperature in paper envelopes for some time between 2 and 4 years already. Do you think there's a chance they might germinate after such a long time? They look great under the scope... what should I expect them to look like if they were not viable anymore? Should I give them a try? Some of these failed before, probably because of the harsh bleach disinfection process that I used, I want to retry using peroxide...
@@Naturamorpho It may be best to store your seed at fridge temps. Seed viability will go down over time, even in the fridge. They may not fare as well at room temp. Dry seed stores for a few years in the fridge but with loss of viability over time. Sure, you can try it - I still do not like using peroxide - the residual that most people leave around the seed will reduce viability.
@@plantpropagator Thank you!
When your stocks are low, don' wait for delivery! Give it a try with banana, chayote, tomatoes and sweet potatoes! Plus a tiny pinch of Peter's NPK... Lol, I swear it is fun to work with that amount of imprecision... It is a liberating feeling!😅Have a great time in the lab! Looks like there's a lot of catching up to do in there! Thx for sharing!
Thanks for your comment - happy to share! My media are very well defined - well - almost everything - I do still use banana. But, I am close to figuring out the component of banana that is contributing to nice growth of the orchids. I was able to make a lot of media so my next day in the lab is going to be very productive.
@@plantpropagator Just kidding, of course... Your expertise and highly scientific approach are among the many reasons I am such a fan! But, talking about it and giving it some more thought, I guess it would make for a great video topic if you could prepare some of this "fruit salad" medium that I use and put it to the comparison with the professional stuff. You see, I don't know how much of my slower growing times are due to the medium and how much of it is due to low tech sowing, sun light growing and poor gas exchange. So if you tried both under the same good techniques, it might be very interesting... Or maybe not?😆
@@Naturamorpho There are so many media formulations out there - it may be challenging to do a comparison of them all. I have compared my replate medium with the commercial replate medium that everyone else uses (P748) and my medium works way better for seedling growth of the cattleya seedlings that I have evaluated.
One of my colleagues swears that the seeds that he places on trees grow much faster than in flasks.....
@@plantpropagator I believe the fruit salad medium will perform worse than any commercial type. I don't know just how worse! I could try to do it myself, buy some medium formulation (maybe P748) and compare it to my "vegie soup", but my technique is so imprecise that I don't think there would be much science value if I did it... thx again!