I've done quite a few 'experiments' with saved pepper seed, one of which gave me a pepper that I've got in my kitchen @about 2.5-3ft it give me a regular chilli supply for my cooking, another is more of a novelty tree with tiny little chillies and leaves, it looks like a thai variant. Another however although very very prolific (and bare in mind I only use small containers 7inch max if that) wasn't hot at all and although I do have 2nd gen seed I haven't pursued that lineage at all (yet). You will get a mixed bag, but most will germinate, some will stumble through and then die, and you may get some good ones you like, or you could get a load of weak, poor fruiting, loosers :) As to wether the green ones will germinate, they probably will if the seed itself is properly formed. My advice with the random seed is grow as many as you can, be patient and label them all (even if its just a letter) so if you get an unusual one you know which one it is. And if you get any someone else will be interested in, then share them with your friends :) Regards Nick

I would recommend against it for saving the seed. Being LousianaGardener says they are still moist, I'm assuming they are not at the end stages of ripeness. If they are moist, they will become shriveled and be of no use for next year. Now if the seeds were almost ripe with an outer shell that was starting to dry and the cowpeas were pretty firm and almost ripe. I would say give it a shot. The germination rate would be lower, but you would have some successful germination next year. So waiting just a little longer on the pods on the plants is so worth it for saving the seeds. Remy

Thanks for the follow-up, Remy! I cut them off last night. Lucky I did, because it's supposed to get down to 22 here tonight! Anyway, the seeds were (for the most part) all mature, and looked fine. The seeds in a couple of the smaller pods were still white. I'm going to try germinating a few when they finish drying. Thanks again! --Jordan

I planted some 3-4 year old seed packets in a large flower pot that I wasn't using. They nearly all came up and were growing well. Then I needed that pot so I took them out by the handful along with the dirt and more or less dumped them in another pot. Now I have a mixture of Mexican Blanket Flowers, allysum and Pinks? plus another white one I don't know what it is. On the other hand I bought a pack of Sweet Pea seed this Spring and none of them came up. Go figure. Sure, keep those seeds til Spring. Sue