What causes seedlings without growing tip?

ScottinAtlanta · April 23, 2020

Here is an example - I had four out of 600 of these seedlings without any growing tip at all. They just sit there and produce a few leaves. What causes that?

GoDawgs · April 23, 2020

Wow, I have one of these for the first time ever! I was going to ask here but you beat me to it. Can't wait to hear a reason.

Edited to say that Pickles wondered if anything would happen if I cut that leaf/stem off. So I did as it will get tossed anyway.

RayR · April 23, 2020

It's called Shoot Apical Meristem Arrest
It is believed to be caused by genetic abnormalities or environmental factors. I guess that means no one knows exactly.

Shoot Apical Meristem Arrest in Brassica and Tomato

PNW_D · April 23, 2020

I find this sometimes happens with older seed .......

slugworth · April 23, 2020

eventually it will produce,I wouldn't toss it out.

clkeiper · April 23, 2020

I was just planting turnips I started and had one of these. I have seen a few peppers do this also. must not be just tomatoes.

Fusion_power · April 23, 2020

Apical meristem arrest is associated with 2 things in tomato. One is old seed. I have several hundred of these this year as I planted a bunch or 8 to 10 year old seed. The other factor is genetics with inter-species crosses the culprit. I've got quite a bit of seed that are from inter-species crosses. This often shows up in those varieties. One example is Burgundy Traveler which will often produce seedlings with no growing point even with fresh seed.

kr222 · May 26, 2020

I had this happen to all three of the Lillian's Yellow tomatoes I started this year. The seed was from 2008, germinated quickly, but stalled with just two healthy cotyledons. I planted them in honor of my grandmother, Lillian. Disappointing to say the least, but you confirmed my suspicions. I figured it might be due to age.

Farmette · May 26, 2020

Had that happen with Redfield Beauty...looked like that for weeks. Just recently, it started a growing tip and looks like it will be a viable tomato plant.

Fusion_power · May 26, 2020

It is variety dependent, but quite a few of these type seedlings will eventually produce a growing tip. The plant is viable, but usually too late to be a prime garden candidate. I have resurrected quite a few varieties by this method from old seed.

ScottinAtlanta · May 26, 2020

After four weeks, no growing tip. I just tossed it out - plenty of other tomatoes in the pots!

eyolf · May 29, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fusion_power

It is variety dependent, but quite a few of these type seedlings will eventually produce a growing tip. The plant is viable, but usually too late to be a prime garden candidate. I have resurrected quite a few varieties by this method from old seed.

I planted some "Heshpole" from 2008 that exhibited a lot of this, and out of curiosity, got about 4/50 of the Fusion f5 from 2004 to germinate after a bleach soak. All 4 of the f5's grew into "deadheads", but one of them has just this week offerred a little sprout from between the (now dying) cotyledons.

I assumed it was the bleach soak damaging the tiny baby in the seed. I tried a few with a Peroxide treatment (different variety...Lycoprea 2007) and achieved a similar result, but those seemed to sprout a growing tip after only about 10 days.

Lycoprea is a very early, small rugose-potato-leaf variety that offers ping-pong-ball pink fruits. I put them in hanging baskets and gave them away to friends and family. All are blossoming, and one has set fruit.

I was very pleased to get a half-dozen viable starts.

Now that I have lost the point, perhaps it wasn't the bleach or peroxide soaks damaging seed...but just seed on the edge of inviability sped along by the soak.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Dutch · June 2, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

Here is an example - I had four out of 600 of these seedlings without any growing tip at all. They just sit there and produce a few leaves. What causes that?

Hi Scott, The growing tips (terminal ends) may have been eaten by "Chilli Thrips".
Check this out; https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles...e1469030428468
Dutch

slugworth · June 19, 2020

Fresh saved seed from last year,1 tomato plant like that out of about 36 of indigo blue variety.
Never saw that before.

slugworth · July 12, 2020

I ended up with 3 plants with no growing tip.
Progress after about 1 month.

April 23, 2020	#2
GoDawgs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b Posts: 1,685	Wow, I have one of these for the first time ever! I was going to ask here but you beat me to it. Can't wait to hear a reason. Edited to say that Pickles wondered if anything would happen if I cut that leaf/stem off. So I did as it will get tossed anyway. Last edited by GoDawgs; April 23, 2020 at 10:47 AM.

April 23, 2020	#3
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	It's called Shoot Apical Meristem Arrest It is believed to be caused by genetic abnormalities or environmental factors. I guess that means no one knows exactly. Shoot Apical Meristem Arrest in Brassica and Tomato Last edited by RayR; April 23, 2020 at 11:18 AM.

April 23, 2020	#4
PNW_D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Coast, Canada Posts: 961	I find this sometimes happens with older seed ....... __________________ D.

April 23, 2020	#6
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I was just planting turnips I started and had one of these. I have seen a few peppers do this also. must not be just tomatoes. __________________ carolyn k

April 23, 2020	#5
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	eventually it will produce,I wouldn't toss it out.

April 23, 2020	#7
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Apical meristem arrest is associated with 2 things in tomato. One is old seed. I have several hundred of these this year as I planted a bunch or 8 to 10 year old seed. The other factor is genetics with inter-species crosses the culprit. I've got quite a bit of seed that are from inter-species crosses. This often shows up in those varieties. One example is Burgundy Traveler which will often produce seedlings with no growing point even with fresh seed.

May 26, 2020	#8
kr222 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Reading, Pennsylvania Posts: 48	I had this happen to all three of the Lillian's Yellow tomatoes I started this year. The seed was from 2008, germinated quickly, but stalled with just two healthy cotyledons. I planted them in honor of my grandmother, Lillian. Disappointing to say the least, but you confirmed my suspicions. I figured it might be due to age.

May 26, 2020	#9
Farmette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 985	Had that happen with Redfield Beauty...looked like that for weeks. Just recently, it started a growing tip and looks like it will be a viable tomato plant.

May 26, 2020	#11
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	After four weeks, no growing tip. I just tossed it out - plenty of other tomatoes in the pots!

June 19, 2020	#14
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	Fresh saved seed from last year,1 tomato plant like that out of about 36 of indigo blue variety. Never saw that before.