seed stays on the top

Itoero · February 21, 2014

My seeds are germinating within a week, but the seeds stay on the little tomato.
What can I do to fix this?

pdxwindjammer · February 21, 2014

Got a case of the helmet heads, eh? Try taking a cotton ball dipped in water and moisten the seed coat. I try to get a bead of water to sit on it. Let it soak that way for a few minutes. Then you can very gently wiggle it back and forth to get the coat off.

Sometimes they just don't come off. Survival of the fittest!

kath · February 21, 2014

To try to prevent this I always use some type of controversial cover until the seeds germinate and appear to make sure the top of the soil stays damp enough. This problem usually only happens to me with older seed when there's not enough resistance/moisture to remove the seed cover as it's popping through the soil. If the seedling is vigorous enough, it may split the cover and take care of itself but it can be helped by keeping the covers moist with saliva or water. Sometimes I can't help but try to pick them off after a few minutes of soaking but the risk is that sometimes the seedling is decapitated.

kath

(oops- typing while pdxwindjammer posted)

Doug9345 · February 21, 2014

The cause for me has always been older seed that I sowed very shallow in light mix. There simply isn't enough resistance to pull the seed coat off. I've found many time that the seed leaves will grow out even though they are bound together. When they get around 1/2" in length you can just pinch the end of the leaves off.

I've put drops water on the helmet head also. The way I do it is to did a pair of forceps in water while holding the tips closed. I can then place the drop where I want it by touching it to the seed coat and opening the forceps.

February 21, 2014	#1
Itoero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Belgium Posts: 186	seed stays on the top My seeds are germinating within a week, but the seeds stay on the little tomato. What can I do to fix this?

February 21, 2014	#3
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	To try to prevent this I always use some type of controversial cover until the seeds germinate and appear to make sure the top of the soil stays damp enough. This problem usually only happens to me with older seed when there's not enough resistance/moisture to remove the seed cover as it's popping through the soil. If the seedling is vigorous enough, it may split the cover and take care of itself but it can be helped by keeping the covers moist with saliva or water. Sometimes I can't help but try to pick them off after a few minutes of soaking but the risk is that sometimes the seedling is decapitated. kath (oops- typing while pdxwindjammer posted) Last edited by kath; February 21, 2014 at 11:46 AM.

February 21, 2014	#2
pdxwindjammer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 625	Got a case of the helmet heads, eh? Try taking a cotton ball dipped in water and moisten the seed coat. I try to get a bead of water to sit on it. Let it soak that way for a few minutes. Then you can very gently wiggle it back and forth to get the coat off. Sometimes they just don't come off. Survival of the fittest!

February 21, 2014	#4
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	The cause for me has always been older seed that I sowed very shallow in light mix. There simply isn't enough resistance to pull the seed coat off. I've found many time that the seed leaves will grow out even though they are bound together. When they get around 1/2" in length you can just pinch the end of the leaves off. I've put drops water on the helmet head also. The way I do it is to did a pair of forceps in water while holding the tips closed. I can then place the drop where I want it by touching it to the seed coat and opening the forceps.