Sertile seeds?
 

I harvested a pile of seeds from some bell peppers that I bought at a grocery store over the winter, in order to plant and grow my own this spring.

NONE of the seeds took.
I harvested Green, Red, Yellow and Orange Bell Pepper seeds, and none will sprout. (All from a grocery store.)

I also harvested seeds from some hot banana peppers that I grew myself last year, and they will not sprout either.

So, what I did was take them from the veggie, layed them out on a sheet of paper to let them dry, then put them in a paper envelope.

Is this wrong?

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

The peppers were more then likely hybrids. they have genetically modified to no be able to reproduce. what ya need to do is start with heirloom seeds of your favorite veggies. Grow those, then you should be able to harvest the seeds with a much better success rate for germination.

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

I saved seeds from some long, red peppers, "Ancient Sweets" from Sam's Club. Not knowing what to do, I cleaned them, gave them a good rinse and dried them out.

About a week ago, I soaked some in a dilute bleach solution for a few minutes and then planted ten seeds in two seed starters. I used five each since I was pessimistic. As of today, two have sprouted. I'm hoping they will produce some peppers this year!

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

Right on. I guess it is time to hit up SurvivalistSeeds dot com then.

I was hoping for the best.

Damn Monsanto to hell!

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

The thread title should read "STERILE" seeds

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

While you're looking at getting heirloom seed, you might want to pick up a copy of <i>Seed to Seed</i> by Suzanne Ashworth and Kent Whealy. Not only were your peppers likely hybrid, but they were probably picked far before your seeds were fully ready to be saved.

Save yourself some time on the learning curve and READ UP on the subject you're guessing at.... trial and error works eventually, but if you take the time to study your subject before you spend months attempting to do something like saving seeds that aren't any good, you'll save yourself some headache. Believe me, there are plenty of things to screw your gardening experience up once you get the seeds to germinate..... reading and a little pre-planning are freaking invaluable and will at least make you feel like your not just flying blind without a parachute.

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

Good point. A lot of the fruits and veggies in the supermarket are picked really green so they will last. There are some seeds developed now that have a terminator gene in them and need to be treated with special chemicals in order to sprout.

I would definitely start off with heirloom seeds from a reliable source. Not only to insure your ability to save seed but also to avoid genetic contamination that could produce unhealthy food.

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

http://rareseeds.com/

Best heirloom seed seller, in my opinion.

Almost all the popular seeds nowadays are hybrids, but this site only sells heirlooms.

Keep in mind, your yield with heirlooms is generally going to be smaller, and they will be more susceptable to bugs/diseases. The taste can't be beat though.

If you are new to gardening, its probably best to try some of both. You can usually contact your university extension and they can recommend hybrids to try out. The heirlooms are going to probably require some trial and error to find types that will work well with your particular soil/climate.

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

I've tried a few places and these guys really are the best, especially in terms of selection. My entire garden this year is full of stuff I acquired through them.

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

I have heard, regarding seed sources, that you should choose one that is in your climate zone?
is there any merit to this?
and, if so, is there a good source in the region 8a zone?

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

My peppers were a failure this year, so take it with a grain of salt - but - if you're referring to Bell peppers, i don't think you can save the seeds from them when the fruit is still green. Green Bells are just unripe Red (or other cultivar) peppers , no? I don't usually try to save seeds from fruits that are still edible. In other words let them go dead ripe. I could be wrong. Usually am. Just ordered the book Magpie recommended from my library!

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

I have never heard this. I have used Baker Creek for years and they arent in my climate zone. I think whoever told you this was confusing the fact that you should get seeds/plants that are suited to your climate zone, rather than the seeds should be produced in your zone.

There are really only a few big heirloom outfits out there. Sand Hill Preservation center and Seed Savers exchange are the only other places I know of. I guess if you wanted something from your climate zone you could use seed savers, as they are basically just a system where you trade with other people.

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

If anything, heirlooms are more region specific than hybrid, heirlooms having mostly been developed by small dedicated and localized gardeners, while hybrids were mostly developed by Universities for commercial ag.

It's even more than climate zones, it's insect and disease tolerances as well.

Re: Sertile seeds?
 

MomoPanda, Re: Peppers:

No, Green are green, yellow are yellow, red are red and orange are orange.