What to do with helmet heads?

[dshreter]

I’m sure you’ve all seen it, a seed comes up and the seed coat remains adhered to the cotyledons. My preference is to just discard these helmet heads, but sometimes I really want every seedling that germinates if I only have a few seeds of a certain variety.

I usually keep at spraying the seed coating with water periodically to soften it, and will try to carefully work it off or slip it off with my fingers. But I often break the cotyledons or stem in the process.

Does anyone have tips or techniques that you’re using or things that help prevent the helmet heads in the first place?

[Spike2]

Mostly I do what you do. I never thought of spraying the seed coating DUH I would get a drop of water on my finger and drop it. I will cross my fingers and hope someone has a good technique to share with both of us.

[kurt]

Dr.Carolyn Male recommended saliva,works for me.There is a thread here in the archives.Try carolyn137,helmet heads,pages and pages.

[dshreter]

Originally Posted by kurt

Dr.Carolyn Male recommended saliva,works for me.There is a thread here in the archives.Try carolyn137,helmet heads,pages and pages.

That’s great! Found the good info here.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...7+helmet+heads

[eyolf]

When I was younger, had better eyesight and didn't suffer from essential tremor I very carefully clipped the very edge of the seed cost to weaken it. I used a fingernail clipper.

I believe my success ratio was about 1/3.

Sent from my motorola edge using Tapatalk

[Yak54]

Originally Posted by eyolf

When I was younger, had better eyesight and didn't suffer from essential tremor I very carefully clipped the very edge of the seed cost to weaken it. I used a fingernail clipper.

I believe my success ratio was about 1/3.

Sent from my motorola edge using Tapatalk

You sound like me !

[bbjm]

They will continue to grow. It usually happens to me with older seeds, but I wouldn't throw them out. What I do is simple, but hard for me to describe. With my thumb and forefinger, I pinch the stuck seed coating on its long sides. Just pinch hard and wiggle the coating a bit. This causes the bottom of the seed coating to release from the two leaves and come right off. Failing that, just clip the leaves right below the coating. The seedling will grow just fine.

[tryno12]

I just planted mine a bit deeper and looked to be problem solved on my second batch of seeds. Always worked with saliva but why bother if deeper planting fixes. I will know for sure next year - could have been coincidence but I think depth a bit shallower than 1/2" solved the problem

[slugworth]

I never spit on my plants.
covid rules in effect.

[JRinPA]

To prevent, plant deeper. More friction/resistance/time for that initial growth will shed it much more reliably.



To remove, soak in saliva. Wrap a little toilet paper on and wet it with spit. Try to remove the seed coat. Repeat.

[KarenO]

I think shallow planting and the current fashion of the use of heat mats to artificially speed germination before the seed coat has a chance soften contributes.
Heat mats are really not needed for tomato seeds which germinate well at normal room temperature and whether your seeds germinate in three days or seven days doesn’t make any difference at the end of the day and the ones that germinated in seven days will be much less likely to have stuck seed coats.
I will add in addition if seeds are planted in good/ normal conditions and some of your seedlings are struggling to germinate properly I think it’s reasonable to cull a seedling that was grown in good conditions and lacks the really most basic vigour to get out if it’s own seed coat. that is the plant’s first test of overall vigour and any normal seedling planted properly should be able to pass that first test. That is why I generally don’t try to “ help “ them.
Survival of the fittest and selection for vigour starts from the start at this mean tomato mama’s house.


KarenO

[MrsJustice]

Thank You for the words from our Great Dr. Carolyn.

I only grew up learning that only Heirloom Corn Seeds should be soaked, not Tomato Seeds.

I guess I have never had a "helmet head problem", following my Aunt Annie Farming Skills learned as a child. Yes, she was Cherokee on my Daddy's side of the family She Took the Place of my Father's Mother who died in childbirth. As a Child, I washed her also soaked these Large Beautiful Purple and White LIma Beans because they needed to be planted deep in the siol.
It took me awhile to find them in my research to grow here at Angel Field Farms. Learning The Name of these beans are called "Christmas Lima Beans, grown on Shepard Mallory Farmland.

Children Learn so much from Relatives Let Pray for all The Children, Especially in Texas, Amen!!

[slugworth]

At the time my room temp is 60 degrees F and the plant trays are cooler than that do to evaporation.
So warming trays are a must.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by slugworth

I never spit on my plants.
covid rules in effect.

Funny!!!!

[paradajky]

When trying to take off a helmet head for one of my two Taiga seedlings a while back, I accidentally ripped off both its cotyledons. I decided to leave it alone for fun to see what would happen - would it die or grow?



It grew two main stems now? Toss it or let it grow?