How to Remove Seed Coats Stuck on Seedlings (Helmet Heads) - Pepper Geek
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
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In this video, we show how to remove a stuck seed coat after your pepper seedlings sprout. This method works well for many types seeds that become stuck after sprouting.
This phenomenon is also know as a "helmet head" due to the appearance. Hopefully our method helps you safely remove any seeds stuck on your seedlings!
*By the way, the word I kept saying is "cotyledons" - the first set of leaves that emerge from seedlings.
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Thanks for watching Pepper Geek
#peppers #seedlings #seeds #stuck 
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Cotyledons; I remember how to spell it from grade school. At 56 I often forget what I was just thinking about 5 minutes ago but remember things from 40+ years ago no problem.
I love that the weather in the background is the dead of winter XD
Nice little technique. Proper sowing depths and roughage within the germination medium can also help pull that hull off as it emerges.
Toenail or fingernail clippers work well to get a hole in the seed which lets your water drop get into the inside seed better.. then just keep trimming away smaller and smaller pieces.. you can also shine a small flashlight through the seed and you will see the plant vs. the seed so its easier to know where to trim without harming your newborn baby pepper plant. 🌶 🧡
Great tips! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I have this problem with about 1 in every 5 or so peppers and tomatoes I grow.
See this sounds really nice but I’m no surgeon I have hand tremors I’d definitely fuck this up
@Ornatetooth0475 Get a friend to do it. You can't have the shakes but it's really not that hard. Or just plant more seeds. :D
I have done this to about 25 seedlings since this video 2 days ago. Thanks! My melons are a bit too soon in the year here in VA, I think, Saved tons of these little seedlings with your technique.
Great tips and great demonstration. Thanks for a great video.
Just found your channel… I enjoy it.
Excellent advice! This has worked for me nearly every time! And I agree, as long as most of the cotyledon is there, the plant bounces back
thank you for this! this is my second year growing peppers and one of my seedlings currently looked like that! super informative and helpful
It may be rather... nasty.. but i find that using saliva works really well too. :) Also what stoped this from happening pretty much completely for me, is starting the seeds in tiny zip bag with very moist paper towel. Never had issue since i started my seeds this way, and it helps to ease my impatient curious mind, since i can keep an eye on them and see the progress.
Well I use the towel method and about 3 weeks after I put them in the towels and 2 weeks after planting them I had about 10 out of 40 still with the seed on
Worked 💯💯 just tried it and saved a seedling 🌱
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have this problem with about 1 in every 5 pepper and tomato seeds. I didn't know I should keep them damp, but it makes sense. Thanks so much!
Excellent info, you are plant saviors!
Thanks guys. I just did this today. Even though I have way too many seedlings, I figured I’d help the little guy out
I would always just pry them off, probably a 60% success rate. Watering them first should help be more successful. thanks for the tip
I love the channel. Growing peppers is my favorite thing to do. I’ve gotten better in the past few years, but the info I’ve learned from your channel has saved me atleast 2 seasons of trail and error. I usually grow around 30 plants. I have a difficult time getting good production on my chinense varieties. I’m pretty sure it’s something I’m doing, or not doing. Gonna buy the ebook today. I live in zone 7A
So R they flowering a lot and they are dropping or is it just not making many flowers later in the season use lower nitrogen fertilizers so the first number like (1-0-0) (2-0-0) I use a 7-6-9 along with a 0-10-10 and bone meal once every few months with some acidifier if needed (bone meal will up ph bringing soil closer to base) lower nitrogen higher phosphate and potash is good for fruiting and flowering
Edit:my bone meal is a 2-25-0
And I do use a liquid fertilizer as well but more so early on it’s a 9-4-12
And epsom salt for manganese boost
My ghosts are doing great flowing like crazy one already has more than 20 flowers over wintered ofc
Thank you. I had several Anaheim and Cayenne plants that were struggling to get started. This saved the day.
Love to hear that this helped!
Yep. I planted my first and only Anaheim and this happened. Will keep it in mind that I need to plant a bunch of this one in hopes of getting one. I usually don't plant more than what I want because I can't bring myself to kill any that make it, LOL.
Excellent video. Respect from Italy 🇮🇹
First time trying to grow anything and out of 8 this just happened to me on 2 of my pepper plants. Thanks for posting this!!!
Hello from New Hampshire..,love your videos
Awesome way sir worked I have three plant which was seed coated I followed your instructions and worked , thanks from India 🇮🇳 🙏
I had this happen a few times this year. I think I only successfully got one off without cutting the whole end off or part of the leaves off. All seedlings survived! it happens! Thank you for this video, gonna try some of these tips next year for sure!
Thank you. Such a cool video🌶🌶🌶
Happens to 75% of my seeds , Thanks for the advice 👍🌶️
I had to do that with my Chiltepin peppers. Hoping they produce. Looks like a good pepper to bonsai after overwintering
Worked like a charm!!!! Thanks
Glad it helped🙂
I've tried these method and its really works. Thanks !👍🏻
Great to hear!
I have this issue more on tomatoes but some basic principle! I normally use spit as it has amylase that helps break down the cap! We normally get it odd in a one or more Applications but I’ll try to open the cap like you said
I always feel like surgeon doing this delicate work, sometimes patient survives, sometimes not....
I just lost 2 after delicate surgery, an Anaheim and a Santa Fe. One lost just part of one cotyledon, but it still didn't make it. They both had the caps stuck on for too long before I decided to try surgery.
Helmet heads, I like that. For me cranberry seeds were the worst. I start with about three pepper seeds and then trim out to the best one. Some pepper seed varieties can be more costly so you may consider an assisted birth.
I have found that after wetting the seed coat, taking a wet Q-Tip and rubbing the seed coat will help to gently pull it off. The Q-tip catches some of the seed coat and that helps to gently pull it off. On a few occasions it may take several swipes to get it completely off.
That was helpful, one Habanero saved! 🙏
Thanks for this video! I just did this to a few and it worked great! However, one came off smoothly but I noticed the tips were very dark brown, as if rot had set in? Would it be safe to assume that it's not gonna make it?
I honestly hate when this happens even when I’m super careful it rips the leaves sometimes
Me too, even for larger seeds like okra. I can just imagine how hard it is for smaller seeds.
I always have a few peppers that get a coat stuck on it, but squash and melons give me the worst time. The seeds are so hard and large, I guess it’s just more likely.
I had my first batch of Aji Panca suffer this fate (older seeds have an increased risk if this). Thank you guys for replying to my panic when I reached out. ❤ 1/5 made it in the test batch, as a few were very scraggly even after the seed coat removal, and I definitely didn't want to carry on those genetics. I ordered seed from a different vendor (not many carry Panca), and they seemed much more robust, with larger ctyledons and thicker stems. Thai Sun Hot and basket gourds also seem to be predisposed to this issue. Great walk through for the white knuckled chili parent dealing with this! 😀
That is the variety I am having the same problem with.
@@btagg2024 my favorite chili hands down, they are definitely a labor of love! Is it your experience also that they naturally have a low germination rate (6/10 on average for me, even with my own saved seeds). I have much better success with the "super hots" that are supposedly tricky to germinate.
@@SilverSaabArc This is my first year growing the Aji Panca. They were one of my last to germinate. I think 3 out of 4 sprouted. I only have one left because of the seed helmets. Hopefully, the plant I have left will do well. I'm looking forward to tasting them!
I've only had this happen to tomatoes and chives. It didn't affect the chives but I ended up losing the tomato that had this problem. It wasn't really an issue for me since I always over sow my seeds but I'll have to try this the next time I encounter the problem.
Would you do this for lemon 🍋 sprouts as well????
I have sprouts and this is exactly what is happening to them and idk if I should pluck em off or leave them alone lol!! 💛
Please Help lol they're my first lemon 🍋 trees!!!
I’ve heard tell that enzymes in our saliva will break it down and make it easy to remove. I’ve yet to try it but it sounds plausible? Happy growing!
Always enjoy your videos guys. Almost time for a garden update…. Three weeks for me until we can plant in the ground…what about you guys????
Well I’m in S.W. Florida so the plants are out I do all container tho no ground they are doing great they keep getting a little sad from the random bits of cold that roll through that just slows growth for a little bit but they are growing pretty quickly especially my reapers growing like 4-5 inches taller in the past week but but it’s gonna get down to the 50s for a few days this week (cold for here) so I expect this week not much will happen
My first time growing from seeds, I got about 40 sprouts no and some have seed helmets, so this video came out at the right time for me.
I'm enjoying the hobby and videos.
Last year the deer and rabbits are everything but my peppers, so I'm a pepper guy now.
I soften the helmet head like you do, but I poke gently at the edge wih a toothpick. It usually falls right off.
You are a cannabis saving God
I haven't had this happen with peppers but carrot seeds that I'm growing as microgreens in a flat with other sections of microgreens are almost all stuck whereas all the other varieties are not having this problem. In fact I think my substrate was too wet because my corn and one other variety started developing some mold and attracting fungus gnats and I did have a humidity dome over them all until they germinated. I am going to try spraying water on the carrot seedlings but they are so thin I'm a little worried that it could cause damping off.
Not for chilis but what if I sprouted the seed in tissue and then transplanted after it gets the root out but planted it before the cotyledon break out? Usually I don't stick the entire thing in the soil, just the roots.
These rocoto pepper seeds i have will sprout but they don't grow a long root for some reason and i can't get the seed pods off the sprouts. I'm guessing they are old and lack gibberelic acid because they don't seem to grow beyond coming out of the seeds.
I snap a piece of aloe vera leaf and let the slimy jelly work it's magic
Tried removing about 10 of them today. I might have killed one of my seedling because I cut the leaves while pulling on the seed, but maybe I saved the rest? I'm saying this because 2 of the other 9 I pulled had a brown tint on the leaves underneath the seed, and the leaves were also very small and whitered inside the seed compared to the part that was outside
I use tweezers that have been cleaned. But yes you need to be ultra gentle.
Very nice technique! But I'm not sure I'll ever need to use it!
I have had no occurrences of "helmet head" in the last two years, while starting many dozens of peppers and tomatoes -- my new technique is to always have 1/4" (6mm) of moist, compacted soil over each seed. I do not even keep my seed starting trays quite as wet as the Pepper Geek does and have not had to spritz the seedlings as they emerge. There is a downside to my approach, however -- I find that stale, less vigorous seeds are not always able to get through even that much soil, so I suspect this slightly lowers my germination rate (albeit only for inferior seeds that would probably have produced weak seedlings). A related issue I've been noticing -- if the soil around the seeds was not moistened enough when planting, germination may be delayed by days to weeks or never happen. Pepper Geek's approach has this covered, but I've sometimes been lax.
I finally got a case of "helmet head". I'm happy to say I tried the Pepper Geek approach and it worked quite well!
Dang. Now I've had 4 cases of helmet head after zero cases in the last 2 years. I'm trying to figure out which variables matter, none of which sound likely. (1) I used a high humidity dome for the first time, pretty much full time instead of a part time low dome. (2) I switched to full-time heat mat at around 85F instead of having it on the light timer. (3) Perhaps I put a thinner or less compacted layer of seed starting soil over the seeds? 1/4" is my normal goal (4) Karma.
Fortunately the Pepper Geek method has worked every time; but helmet head sets them back at least a couple of days even when this works.
Just keep them moist and leave them to outgrow it. Most will turn the first leaves into 1 big leaf which looks super cute
That’s what’s I’ve always been told and it works. Much safer than trying to take the seed casing off manually
I messed up and pulled the leaf off...but I have gigantor hands. gentle gentle people.
Fungus Gnats managed by old ribboned sticky tape and baking starter soil at 400degrees for 30 mins. Painless for the first time in years
Life in the Nursery is a struggle for some. I stopped removing stuck helmet heads.
Hey guys, I purchased your ebook but never received an email confirmation or the download link. Just checked my bank account and the charge was made. How do I get access to the ebook? I didn’t save the confirmation page on my browser.
Please email us hello@peppergeek.com, we will send out a link for you right away once we have your email that you purchased it with :)
I just slightly pinch them and twist my fingers and they fall off
I’ve lost at least 20 seedlings to this so far. I moisten them an pull off some but some just don’t give. First year it’s got me this bad
I almost always end up pulling the entire thing off. 😭
Always have some lefties in the bullpen when this happens.
To prevent this, it is also important to sow seeds to a sufficient depth so that during germination the seed coat stays longer in moist soil and friction helps the sprout to remove it. I sow peppers to a depth of 8-10 millimeters and have never encountered such a problem.
My 2023 peppers really have this bad this year. I must be doing something wrong.
I do the same thing!! However I use a couple toothpicks to manipulate the seed shell!! . Check it out on my channel. I use toothpicks cause my fingers are fat! 😂😂
First
If the shells are stuck to the seedlings, you aren't planting them deep enough.
That can be a factor, but in my experience a particular seed is sometimes more prone
@@PepperGeek I had some issues with serranos earlier in the year with them being stuck. I get ya
Gotta clean your helmet.
Don't remove the seed, remove the seedling. If the plant isn't strong enough to break free by itself, than it's a weak plant and should be removed just like when you thin out the other scrawny weak seedlings.
Only the strongest plants should be grown.
Or it could be that the seed was so strong that a good seed couldn't push through it ┐( ∵ )┌