IMPORTANT NOTICE
The results I posted previously had an error. When I did another count of the germinated seeds today I noticed a problem and found the error. Unfortunately, I ran two tests at the same time and some of the results became confounded.
I am reporting the corrected results of both tests below.
Freezer versus refrigerator storage.
45 seeds in each packet. These seeds were from a mixed set of 90 seeds from different pod parents but the same pollen parent.
Frozen seeds - today's germination - direct into freezer for one week first, 20/45
Refrigerated seeds - today's germination - dried for one week first, 18/45
Mould is present on most of the seeds in both packets.
There is no relevant difference between the germination totals.
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The other test I was running is what happens if seeds are brought inside in the autumn and directly placed into moist paper towels in the refrigerator. Unfortunately the seeds for this test were not from the same cultivars as those for the frozen versus refrigerated test. The number germinated for this batch of seeds is 39/45. These seeds were collected from outside on the same day that the other seeds were removed from the freezer and placed in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator (which was the same day that the dried seeds were placed in the same vegetable crisper). This set of seeds is from different pollen parents and different pod parents than the other seeds. This set of seeds spent one week more outside than the other two sets of seeds (collection date - Nov. 12 versus Nov. 5). We cannot compare the results of this test with the results of the other test as it is fairly obvious that these seeds are more viable than the other seeds.
