Can seeds from store bought fruits and vegetables germinate?

I chose this project because, over Christmas Break I was brainstorming ideas for science fair. I have always wondered if I could have an indoor strawberry plant all year round so I took all of the seeds out of a strawberry and wrapped them in a damp paper towel in a sealed Ziploc bag. After a few days the seeds were all moldy and disgusting. I wanted to know if this happened to every fruit and vegetable seed that you buy from the store.

Before I started the germination process I did some research and every source that I looked at said that the paper towel method was the quickest most successful way to germinate seeds. What I did was take the seeds from Gala and Pink Lady apples, green apples, cucumbers, watermelon, red pepper, cherry tomato, lemon, two avocados, mango, and grapes. I cut the seeds out of the fruits or vegetables and took any membrane off so it wouldn't affect the germination. Next I placed the seeds on a damp paper towel in a sealed Ziploc bag. For the two avocados I took the pit out and let them soak in a glass of water for an hour so the brown skin would peel off. I did this because my research said it would speed up the germination. Finally I placed them in a warm dark place which was the back of my closet. I checked on the seeds everyday or every other day and wrote down any changes. Once some seeds started to sprout I would plant them or let the sprout grow a little bit longer. Once the sprouts were longer I planted them in individual pots and placed them under a grow light. I watered them everyday to every two days. I did the same watering, planting and placing underneath the grow light for every seed that I planted. For my mango and avocado I did a bit more research once the seeds sprouted because they are tropical plants. When I did research it said the most effective way to recreate the tropical climate was to cover the sprout with a plastic lid after you water it to create some humidity. I took the plastic lid I had and also sprayed some water on it for more humidity.

From my experiment with the fruits and vegetables successful germination occurred in Gala and Pink Lady apples, lemon, watermelon, one avocado, green apples, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, and mango. The seeds that were unsuccessful are grapes, cucumbers, and the second avocado. The reason that the cucumbers didn't sprout is because I did some research and it turns out that cucumbers aren't fully mature until they are an orangey yellow color and kind of mushy. They can't fully mature unless they are still attached to the original plant, which means that the cucumbers we eat are immature. Another thing is that some breeds are bred to be "seedless" but they still has small seeds. Have you noticed that if you grow cucumbers that the seeds are bigger, that is because they aren't a hybrid so they will have viable seeds. The reason they are bred to be seedless is so the plant stores easier, easier to eat, and so the plant focuses on growing the fruit and not viable seeds. I don't know why the second avocado didn't germinate because it was the same brand and breed as the first one and I did the same thing for both of them. Some of the successful seeds were red peppers and the brand that I bought them from uses a mix of hybrid and heirloom peppers. I am not sure what the hybrid peppers' genetics are but I know they originated from Mexico.

My results are important because this means that people can grow plants from the seeds of fruits and vegetables we buy at the store. Another reason this important is because fresh fruit seeds adapt to the growing conditions better than dried seeds. That's because when seeds are dried they slow down their metabolism to basically nothing so they can just stay alive. This means that it takes a lot longer for dried seeds to sprout and regain their metabolism. According to the Centre for Agriculture and Bio-science International digital library states that plants from fresh seeds grow faster with stronger stems they exhibit these characteristics because they haven't hibernated. Dried seeds will take longer to sprout because they hibernated and that could affect the growing of the plants and fruits. That is why people who are really good at gardening start planting their seeds in March and possibly earlier. This is also a way to find the vigour of certain seeds and plant varieties. Based on the evidence of my experiment you can grow plants from store bought fruits and vegetables you just have to know if they are hybrid seeds or heirlooms. As a result people in rural areas can grow plants from the seeds of store bought fruits and vegetables in their own homes without having to travel to get tropical fruits and vegetables.

To further my experiment I am going to keep my plants alive to see if they will grow any fruits or vegetables. If that turns out well I will try different varieties of the seeds I have done or seeds I didn't do. Another thing I might do if I am able to get fruits out of my plants is, share what I learned with other people. I also might get more seeds of the plants that failed and try to germinate them, maybe try a different variety to see if that makes a difference.

Some people I would like to thank for helping with my project are my science teacher Mrs. Metherell for helping me with my formatting and helping refine my research and results. Another thanks to my mom for getting all of my fruits and vegetables that I got my seeds from. I would also like to thank Carolyn Dionne for letting me borrow her plant grow light to help my plants grow in the cold winter.

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