Seed Coat

durable_now · February 12, 2013

I have about 35 seeds that so far have sprouted.All are tomatoes & a lot of different varieties & with out exception every one has not shed their seed coat.I tried using spit on one & then tugging on it with tweezers but just sent it to the graveyard so i'm very hesitant to try more but am really worried they won't shed by themselves.I have never had this many do this before.The only thing I did different was when covering the seeds I put on a very thin coating of starter mix(just covering the seed) before I had put on a fairly thick coating.These seeds have only been under the lights since yesterday (2-11) so maybe it's to early to tell if they will shed or not.I check my seed fairly often & when I see the tiniest bit of green it goes under the light.Am I movin them to soon or should I wait 'till they pop out more ?
Thanks
PS
I have 12 peppers that shed their coats with no problems

Redbaron · February 12, 2013

Moisten hard heads before taking the seed coat off. Also don't pull. Squeeze gently across the grain to split it further and it will almost fall off by itself.

Remember squeeze across the grain, not with the grain. Kinda like splitting open a sunflower seed or a peanut shell.

Most of the time though, even without your help, the plant will "extract itself" from the seed all by itself. Just keep the seed moist enough.

Doug9345 · February 12, 2013

I think stuck seed coats have a lot to do with a combination of sowing too shallow in a mixture that is very light and a humidity that is low. It appears to me to take some friction for the seedling to be able to pull the seed coat off as it grows out of the soil.

I've had some tomato seedling not make it because of the seed coat but most of them have kept going and were fine. The seedlings have grown their first set of true leaves while the ends of the seed leaves were still attached at the tips by the seed coat. They looked like they had little handcuffs on. At that point I just tore the tip of the leaves off.

Doug9345 · February 12, 2013

I wanted to add the way I moisten the seed coats is to take a pair of forceps, hold them closed, and then dip them in water. The forceps will hold a drop of water like an old ink drafting pen. You can place the drop of water directly on the seed coat with out handling the seedling multiple times or trying to drip water on it and only succeeding one in ten time.

kath · February 12, 2013

Redbaron's advice about never pulling and about squeezing 'across the grain' is excellent and keeping the seeds moist is the key. It seems that if the seeds don't have much covering it's easier for the seed coats to be dry and they need to be moist to come off. Pushing through a bit of soil seems to help them break free of the coating but if they emerge still full enclosed, keeping a dome on or some plastic wrap on top for a day, spritzing often with water from a spray bottle or with saliva, and then working with tweezers when they're softened up all have worked for me. It's heart breaking to behead them, isn't it?

Move them into the light as soon as they break through the soil.

Oops- Doug & were typing at the same time!

kath

February 12, 2013	#1
durable_now Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Seagoville Tx Zone 8A Posts: 35	Seed Coat I have about 35 seeds that so far have sprouted.All are tomatoes & a lot of different varieties & with out exception every one has not shed their seed coat.I tried using spit on one & then tugging on it with tweezers but just sent it to the graveyard so i'm very hesitant to try more but am really worried they won't shed by themselves.I have never had this many do this before.The only thing I did different was when covering the seeds I put on a very thin coating of starter mix(just covering the seed) before I had put on a fairly thick coating.These seeds have only been under the lights since yesterday (2-11) so maybe it's to early to tell if they will shed or not.I check my seed fairly often & when I see the tiniest bit of green it goes under the light.Am I movin them to soon or should I wait 'till they pop out more ? Thanks PS I have 12 peppers that shed their coats with no problems

February 12, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Moisten hard heads before taking the seed coat off. Also don't pull. Squeeze gently across the grain to split it further and it will almost fall off by itself. Remember squeeze across the grain, not with the grain. Kinda like splitting open a sunflower seed or a peanut shell. Most of the time though, even without your help, the plant will "extract itself" from the seed all by itself. Just keep the seed moist enough. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

February 12, 2013	#5
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Redbaron's advice about never pulling and about squeezing 'across the grain' is excellent and keeping the seeds moist is the key. It seems that if the seeds don't have much covering it's easier for the seed coats to be dry and they need to be moist to come off. Pushing through a bit of soil seems to help them break free of the coating but if they emerge still full enclosed, keeping a dome on or some plastic wrap on top for a day, spritzing often with water from a spray bottle or with saliva, and then working with tweezers when they're softened up all have worked for me. It's heart breaking to behead them, isn't it? Move them into the light as soon as they break through the soil. Oops- Doug & were typing at the same time! kath Last edited by kath; February 12, 2013 at 09:37 AM.

February 12, 2013	#3
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	I think stuck seed coats have a lot to do with a combination of sowing too shallow in a mixture that is very light and a humidity that is low. It appears to me to take some friction for the seedling to be able to pull the seed coat off as it grows out of the soil. I've had some tomato seedling not make it because of the seed coat but most of them have kept going and were fine. The seedlings have grown their first set of true leaves while the ends of the seed leaves were still attached at the tips by the seed coat. They looked like they had little handcuffs on. At that point I just tore the tip of the leaves off.