Floating Seeds Good or Bad ?

I have just put some Jalapeno seeds in to soak overnight . Now half sank to the bottom and half floated. Can this tell me which seeds are viable seeds ? Presuming that the ones that float are not viable ?
Or am I confusing this with good and bad eggs :WINK1:

 

It is a test for eggs yes, but you may have found a viability test

How about separating them, labeling & testing germination. Oh, hold on, I bet Kristan has already got a spreadsheet for this :WINK1:

 

Is that what they taught you at lifeguards school Marley ?

 

If I have I have forgotten! but "Sow sinkers, and throw floaters" is what I was taught for germination tests - dunno if that applies to all seeds (or only those of "some size & weight", as obviously tiny seed always floats!) though

 

The problem with my advice is that I'm a) dyslexic and b) have a poor memory ... so maybe it was the other way round? :D

 

Interesting, never thought to try that with chilli seeds, i just plant them and put them in the prop and they tend to sprout :D i am obviously not being technical enough. I have quite a few varieties on the go at the moment, i really like twilight which is both hot and decorative in pots.

 

Sorry Marley, didn't mean that to come across sarcastically, just thought it amusing to apply it to a different context.

Bit like The Simpsons' "Knife goes in, guts come out" scenario. :DOH::D

 

[size=medium]Thanks all for the advice .
Seems like sow the sinkers and bin the floaters is the advice . While I only have about 20 seeds I will divide the seed tray in half and split the sowing. I can then see what happens .
Does anyone know what the germination time for a Jalapeno Chili is ? ( My Cherry Bomb Chilis came up in 8 days.)
On further Googling of the floating question , it seems some seeds float as part of their dispertion method. [/size]

 

I once bought a large(about 2" across) round flat seed at Lands End.

It was sold as a "seaweed seed" but as we all know, seeweed doesn't have seeds, so i'd assumed it was a mangrove seed that had floated across the Atlantic.

Apparently not though,

http://www.batplants.co.uk/mangrfinal.htm

Looks like mangroves drop live babies into the water. Wonder what it could have been then.

 

When I have only a few seeds they all get planted "just in case" ... but when harvesting Acorns for bulk planting I do the sink-or-float (that just doesn't wound as good as sink-or-swim, does it?!!) test.

 

I split the seed tray in half and planted floaters one side and sinkers on the other . The Jalapeno seeds germinated at 30°c in 8 to 14 days , after a 24 hour pre soaking in a very weak tea solution . The first lot I planted from this seed batch did not germinate. The germination rate wasn't great , but I got about 33% sinkers and 20% floaters germinating. So I think the advice is as Marley and Kristen said , if you have lots of seed ditch the floaters , if you only have a few you may as well plant them . Now I just hope I get some nice Jalapenos in late summer , stuff with stilton cheese and lightly grill on the BBQ - lovely !