Shell casings stuck on seedlings

[Blazd4Daz]

How much more time should I allow seedling shell casings to remain on seedlings???

3 days old, already and seedlings stems are starting to S~shape underneath seed shells on two seedlings.

It would be real tricky to try to remove them, as they are in rockwool cubes and not anchored with enough tap root, yet.

Is this normal, and will they eventually shed their casings, or do I need to do it for them, before they die from lack of light?

Shell casings are still real tight on the cotyledons, embryonic leaves.

Any recommendations asap, would be greatly appreciated, Thanks in advance.

 

[Gelado`]

Wet the shells down (spray bottle works well), wait 5-10 minutes, and then very very gently pry them off, and then wet the membrane underneath, and wait again. I use a toothpick to get the membrane off. Be even more careful as you can damage the cotyledons this way. I've done it with 100% success though. Good luck!

 

[Blazd4Daz]

Wet the shells down (spray bottle works well), wait 5-10 minutes, and then very very gently pry them off, and then wet the membrane underneath, and wait again. I use a toothpick to get the membrane off. Be even more careful as you can damage the cotyledons this way. I've done it with 100% success though. Good luck!

Thanks Gelado

Some serious micro surgery about to take place here.

or should I let them go another day? Will they die if they don't get light in the next 24 hours???

There 48 inches under a 400wt MH, HID bulb.

 

[sesame street]

Those things can really clamp hard. I need to try wetting them the next time, thanks for the tip!

 

[Ryan Seedquest]

How deep did you plant them?

How deep did you plant them?

I used to have to de-shell many sprouts...
Much the same process as Gelado posted.
(Decapitated a few in the process...)

Then I started planting seeds @ 1" deep,
And ALL my sprouts come up clean now.

I had been sowing @ 1/4" - 1/2"

Germination rates improved too.

I sow in finely milled peat moss, fwiw
(Same as in the peat pellets...)

No pre germ in paper towels...
No worrying about seed position...

 

[scoby]

MIST MIST MIST!!
Once an hour for three hours, it should come off by then, dont use instruments, if the membrane is still attached you will just rip the baby leaves off from the top of the sprout and if those go, u lose your genetics. Mist, this is experience, dont worry it wont die, I have had sprouts go 7 inchs tall before popping open. The stalk will absorb a lil light in the meantime, besides sprouts dont need to be pounded with light, nature will run its course so give it a few rain showers with the bottle on that routine and you will have healthy sprouts. If it does not open after 3 sprayings, repeat but do twice an hour for 3 hours. If it doesnt open after that I will donate a 100 worth of seeds to you, thats how confident I am the mist works, just needs to be softened.

 

[Blazd4Daz]

Unbelivable, never had this problem before. Maybe because I'm using a seedling heating mat and rock wool cubes, under a dome. They popped in 2 days and possibly didn't have the time needed to moisten enough to crack open, properly. Paper towel method, just wasn't do it for me.

My wife says not to mess with them, leave them alone, they'll be fine, but I don't think so. They need their light, now. Damn, I don't want to kill them, trying to pry off the shells. Can they go another 24 hours, if I keep them wet with a spray bottle, with hopes that they will shed their shells, on their own???

 

[nickman]

I've sprayed with water and then if they still didn't come on I would get a razor and cut it off...

 

[Blazd4Daz]

MIST MIST MIST!!
Once an hour for three hours, it should come off by then, dont use instruments, if the membrane is still attached you will just rip the baby leaves off from the top of the sprout and if those go, u lose your genetics. Mist, this is experience, dont worry it wont die, I have had sprouts go 7 inchs tall before popping open. The stalk will absorb a lil light in the meantime, besides sprouts dont need to be pounded with light, nature will run its course so give it a few rain showers with the bottle on that routine and you will have healthy sprouts. If it does not open after 3 sprayings, repeat but do twice an hour for 3 hours. If it doesnt open after that I will donate a 100 worth of seeds to you, thats how confident I am the mist works, just needs to be softened.

Thanks tons, scoby

That's the answer I needed. Misting away now, right~on.

 

[Blazd4Daz]

I used to have to de-shell many sprouts...
Much the same process as Gelado posted.
(Decapitated a few in the process...)

Then I started planting seeds @ 1" deep,
And ALL my sprouts come up clean now.

I had been sowing @ 1/4" - 1/2"

Germination rates improved too.

I sow in finely milled peat moss, fwiw
(Same as in the peat pellets...)

No pre germ in paper towels...
No worrying about seed position...

Thanks Ryan

They are down 1/2 inch in rock wool cubes. 3 have popped in 2~3 days with a heating mat, in a dome. Much better results then using the paper towel method.

Still waiting on a Kali Mist, from Serious seeds, that went under the dome, yesterday. Dutch Passion Blueberry is up and doing great. Nirvana Hawaiian Maui Waui and Cali Connections Girl Scout Cookie are what I'm waiting to shed their shells. All Fems.

Might try starting them down another quarter inch farther in the cubes, next time, Thanks.

These ceeds are to expensive and to hard to get, to be prying the shells off. Misting, now and will be back with results, Thanks all.

 

[scoby]

When the casing has been misted and becomes loose enough it will slide right off, yes a blunt tooth pick will work to slide it off provided the casing membrane has softenend to the point that the fiber is no longer attached. I do the same thing but I have 1000s of seeds and much practice at forcing them off. Like you said your beans are really expensive so why risk it, they are still growing roots and gaining potential energy to kick that shell right off. Sometimes the casing will stay attached to the tip of one of those babies leaves all the way till the sprout has reached 4 weeks or even more of age. Also have seen where forcing the shell prematurely causes the sprout to stunt if not kill it.

 

[Blazd4Daz]

When the casing has been misted and becomes loose enough it will slide right off, yes a blunt tooth pick will work to slide it off provided the casing membrane has softenend to the point that the fiber is no longer attached. I do the same thing but I have 1000s of seeds and much practice at forcing them off. Like you said your beans are really expensive so why risk it, they are still growing roots and gaining potential energy to kick that shell right off. Sometimes the casing will stay attached to the tip of one of those babies leaves all the way till the sprout has reached 4 weeks or even more of age. Also have seen where forcing the shell prematurely causes the sprout to stunt if not kill it.

I agree scoby

One has already started pushing it's~self out, wheeew! Will continue misting, thru the day and into tomorrow, if need be.

Great info from you, much appreciated, Thank You.

 

[Gelado`]

I've actually torn off cotyledon leaves on an auto seedling. Two weeks later the seedling had its first leaf set and then it grew up perfectly fine. Great smoke even!

Sowing deeper will help for sure, but I find I suffocate my seeds in soil when I sow too deep. I guess I water too much, but I don't want them to dry out either. I sow right under the surface and let a little of the seed peek out, and then saturate thoroughly. In my experience I get the highest germ rates that way.

Try spraying and wait another day; if it doesn't work, pick it off. If you have to attack the membrane, I find using the toothpick to get right between the cotyledon leaves is the safest way as you can push it upward without damaging the leaves (there's space between them, even with the membrane on).

 

[DJXX]

if it seems you may harm them trying to pry them off..take a paper towel and wet it making a soft place to work...carefully take the baby out of the medium and lay it on the wet paper towel and do surgery...the lil neck will survive better...i have tried to pry them in the medium and broken many necks....or if you leave them in the paper towel long enuff you will have a longer tail and the helmet will be off already....keepn it in the wet paper towel keeps it so they don't dry out....keeping them in a dome when young helps this too...they jus stay glued on when they dry...when done put carefully into the medium and they will do great...dj

 

[Blazd4Daz]

I've actually torn off cotyledon leaves on an auto seedling. Two weeks later the seedling had its first leaf set and then it grew up perfectly fine. Great smoke even!

Sowing deeper will help for sure, but I find I suffocate my seeds in soil when I sow too deep. I guess I water too much, but I don't want them to dry out either. I sow right under the surface and let a little of the seed peek out, and then saturate thoroughly. In my experience I get the highest germ rates that way.

Try spraying and wait another day; if it doesn't work, pick it off. If you have to attack the membrane, I find using the toothpick to get right between the cotyledon leaves is the safest way as you can push it upward without damaging the leaves (there's space between them, even with the membrane on).

Thanks! Gelado

Not taking any chances with these. Getting ready, right now to transplant them into small starter pots of Happy Frog and a tad of Mykos, will add the rest of my soil additives, when they get transplanted again into their final containers.

The misting over the past few hours, does seem to have helped a~bit and might need to help them along, if this situation continues, past the next 24 hours, or so.

The added moisture does seem to be working a~little, so far. By then they should be loosed enough to remove them, without damaging the cotyledons, if I'm very careful.

 

[Gelado`]

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

 

[Blazd4Daz]

Thanks again, you's all's

Just finished transplanting into small starter pots, from cubes and one shell casing was removed, successfully. "Slippery when wet."

Now with one to go, thank goodness and all's you good people that bothered to help out. scoby, nice call, Very much appreciated.

Misting continues on the Maui, her casing has loosened a~bit.Gelado, will let you all know how it went, Thanks.

 

[Gelado`]

Glad you got one off and I'm sure the other will come off too. The thread title makes it sound like you were firing a handgun around your seedlings. lol

 

[scoby]

fine mist, just dont drown the new root system
when the membrane is soft enough, it will slide right off the folded coty leaves like a condom on a stick of butter, use a tooth pick when it is loose enough and will give way easily. If you have to force it, you take a chance on being the proud owner of a tap root that will be dead in a day with no sun head. The misting will get it soft and pliable so the sock slides off. Do not use the force on this one or you may piss off yoda or worse your wife. Slippy sliddy patience

 

[hush]

The thread title makes it sound like you were firing a handgun around your seedlings. lol

LOL I thought the same thing.