They are called caps” or peels, the same seed shells that remain after germination. They prevent the cotyledon leaves from opening, which is critical, and often they simply hang on the leaf. I really want to take it off, but it’s scary, and I can’t do it with my hands. And what to do if the seed coat cannot be removed, how to remove it without damaging it: 3 methods. And most importantly: 5 reasons why she stays.

Why and when seedlings sprout in a “cap”: who is to blame if the cotyledons do not open

What if the seedlings have not shed their seed coat? Why? And we are to blame: we created the conditions.

The root grows downwards, a loop is formed on top: the subcotyledonous knee (hypocotyl) is formed. During the “somersault”, the hypoctile pulls out the cotyledons and the embryonic bud (plumula) from the ground - in the future the main shoot.

Friction is necessary with the soil mixture - with micro-particles of soil. And if there is no soil resistance, the coefficient of friction and compression is low, the embedment depth, humidity, structure and other factors are to blame: temperature, preparation for sowing, for example.

Seed planting depth: surface sowing

When surface sowing medium and large seeds - from tomatoes, peppers, eggplants (medium) to pumpkin, cucumber, melon (large), this is what happens. How high should I bury the seeds?

Formula: planting depth = 1.5-2 seed height or 2-2.5 seed diameter. It all depends on the size.

1. Large seeds (pumpkin, beans, peas) are buried to 3.5-4 and up to 5 cm, depending on the soil.
2. Medium (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, carrots with parsley, radishes) - from 1.5-2 to 2.5 cm.
3. For small ones (celery, lettuce, poppy seeds, strawberries), surface sowing + 1-2 mm of soil dusted on top is indicated, sowing on snow or with sand.

And also the mechanical composition of the soil. Dense clay structure - we sow higher, light (a large percentage of tyrsa, sand, coconut - deeper).

It is important not to be afraid to compact: lightly, but you need to compact: remember the resistance coefficient.

In the worst case, the seeds cannot break through, in the best, they germinate with the shell.

2. Soil structure

Too light, loose from excess torus or sand, friable, as well as heavy is not good: without meeting resistance, the sprouts germinate with the seed coat.
What to do? Add at least 1/3 of purchased soil or garden soil to peat or turf.

3. The soil is too wet or dry.

During germination, containers with seedlings are covered with film and glass - a mini-greenhouse. This is also a humidity indicator. There is a lot of condensation - it is waterlogged, and the temperature is clearly increased. Little or no - dry, you need to moisten it with a spray bottle.

Why? Requires rough particles for friction. And if the soil is mushy or like dust, how to get out?

4. They are cold! Or hot

At lower temperatures, germination energy decreases. Ground temperature for different cultures different.

• Pepper needs from 25 °C to +27...30 °C - optimal: at the latter value it sprouts in 5-7 days.
• Tomato – up to 25 °C.
• Eggplants up to +23…+27 °C, extreme +27 °C.
• For lettuce at 15 °C it takes 2-3 days to germinate.
• Parsnips at +20 °C will produce loops in 5-8 days.
• Onions at +15 °C – 4-5 days.

Important! You will be surprised how much the ground temperature is lower than the air.

Insert a thermometer: at room temperature +23...+25 °C it can show only +12...+15 °C. As moisture evaporates, it lowers the temperature. Naturally, the temperature regime is often violated.

At low temperatures, the production of enzymes is slowed down, the formation of hormones, incl. growth, auxins, growth processes are not activated - as well as with increased ones, the intensity of respiration decreases.

5. Overdried seeds and soaking

Soaking accelerates swelling and germination, but more often only swelling.

The lack of oxygen needed to activate enzyme production slows down the process.

Experiments with beans (!) showed: soaking for 4 hours improved germination, while soaking for 16 hours resulted in damage to the seeds. Although it is believed that it is extremely necessary to “soak” it.

And amino acids, proteins, enzymes are washed out. And from excess moisture they begin to synthesize proteins, sugars, amino acids, vitamins, which leads to their irrational consumption.

This is a false alarm: the deceived embryo will not receive them in the phase it needs.

Therefore, it is better to replace the classic procedure by laying it on a dampened napkin, foam rubber: there is moisture, there is no excess of it, and it does not interfere with breathing. And do not cook or fry the seeds!

Not all seeds need to be heated before planting, and be extremely careful: the endosperm under the seed coat can be damaged.

Melons and cucumbers like to “warm up”, but not above +30...+35 C, dry heat. But at t +30, many peppers and eggplants, and even tomatoes, may not sprout: this is not their method.

A special word about the low quality of the material: unripe, infection-carrying seeds that are overdried initially have low germination, and defects are possible during germination.

And finally: how to take off the cap

If the cotyledons cannot open and shed the seed coat, what should you do?

Do not spray with water, even from a spray bottle, as is often advised: this will cause rotting of the seedlings. If they survive, it's a black leg.

1. Do not handle the sprouts with your hands: you will damage them and may cause tissue burns. As a last resort, hold your hands in ice water and wear gloves (not latex - many stick).
2. Drop a couple of drops from a pipette or syringe warm water. After an hour - again, and up to 3-4 times. The shell will swell and can be deftly removed with a needle or tweezers, if it does not fall off on its own.
3. There is a reverse immersion method: sprinkle the seedlings thin layer vermiculite, sand, light semi-dry soil. But there is a risk of non-germination, and this development slows down. Therefore, soaking is better.

What's the third method? Best.

If the cotyledons have fully opened, the seedlings are strong and vigorous, and the shell is barely holding on - these are the little things in life. Wait a couple of days: it will fall off on its own.

Bathing in a drop of water is justified only to open the cotyledon leaves. And that's not always the case.

If the cotyledons have not been opened for a long time, it is better to discard such seedlings, alas: this is an almost guaranteed developmental delay. Almost.

Interesting about seedlings:

Let the seedlings grow strong and without a cap. Happy harvest!

The successful development of seedlings depends on soil moisture, optimal temperature regime, proper air circulation, availability sufficient quantity light, nutrients. But knowledge of this information does not always help gardeners obtain full-fledged plants. For successful cultivation It is required to monitor growth step by step and timely eliminate possible errors or prevent their occurrence. What are the problems of growing seedlings from seeds? initial stage will be discussed in the article.

Seedling infections

Change in leaf color

Pale, dull leaf color indicates a lack of light or nitrogen fertilizer.

The seedlings are moved to a lighted place or lighting is used (a 40-watt fluorescent lamp is used per 0.5 m², installed at a distance of 14-25 cm above the plants). The quality of seedlings from seeds sown later and growing in natural light is better than when sowing early under a lamp.

Remember! The darker the room, the lower the temperature the thermometer should show. But the indicators should not fall below +13.5 ° C. When low temperatures the seedlings will stop developing and may die.

In case of nitrogen deficiency, fertilize with a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea (not exceeding the proportion of 7-11 g per 10 liters of water). Blue-red spots on the foliage indicate overcooling of the soil and inaccessibility of phosphorus to plant roots. A dry rim is a sign of potassium starvation. In both cases, the plants are fed with complex fertilizer and created for them favorable conditions.

Suspension of growth after picking

• Common cause are dive errors. For example, the long roots of seedlings are not pinched, and when planted in a substrate they bend and intertwine. This leads to rotting, inhibition of plant growth, or to its death from fungal diseases, the pathogens of which penetrate through the damaged root system.
• If during planting an air cavity is created around the roots. As a result, the root hairs dry out and do not function fully.
• Low temperature and lack of nutrition.

Some plant species react negatively to picking. These include all varieties with a taproot and weak root system - cucumbers, peppers, etc. Such plants are planted in open ground, and peppers and cucumbers are sown in separate pots of several pieces.

Keep in mind! Before planting in the beds, be sure to harden off the seedlings. You need to start hardening in cloudy weather, gradually accustoming the seedlings to direct sunlight.

Video: growing strong seedlings

In order to successfully grow healthy seedlings, it is necessary to regularly monitor growth and promptly eliminate possible errors, as well as prevent their occurrence. Let's look at the most common problems with seedlings which you may experience if you do not follow the basic rules for growing seedlings. Our recommendations will help you avoid the most common mistakes and will be useful as experienced gardeners, and for beginners in this matter.

In order for seedlings to develop well, it is necessary to create optimal comfortable conditions, namely, carefully monitor the following parameters:

1. Sufficient soil moisture.
2. Optimal temperature conditions.
3. Proper air circulation in the room.
4. Sufficient lighting.
5. Nutrients in required quantities.

Even amateur gardeners know this information, but knowledge does not help all gardeners in growing full-fledged seedlings.

Reasons why seeds don't always germinate

There are many reasons that affect seed germination. The main reasons are the following:

First and main reason: Use of non-viable old seed material. In order to determine whether it is good, experienced gardeners do a quick check. They first soak the seeds in the stimulant, and then place them on a damp cotton towel and put them in a plastic bag for a while. It is better to place the bag in a warm place until small sprouts appear.

If a week passes and you do not notice any changes, then the seeds are not viable. Then go to a specialized store or market for fresh seed, which you check in the same way after purchasing. The seeds of many plants remain viable for at least two years if they are stored correctly.

Common problems with seed germination.

The second reason for poor germination is sowing seeds at great depths. When planting plants, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of sowing each plant. Some of the seeds need to be placed on the surface, the soil must be moist, and they will germinate only under a film (for example), while other seeds prefer to grow under a thin layer of substrate, and so on.

The third reason is sowing in cold soil saturated with moisture. In this case, the seeds rot and seedlings do not appear. For this reason, it is necessary to arrange drainage system and make holes in containers to provide ventilation.

And finally, the fourth common reason for seed failure to germinate is steaming the seeds. It is not recommended to place containers in which moistened crops are planted in too warm places (for example, on heating batteries). To prevent steaming, you need to place magazines or books under the container or use special heat mats.

Seeds that have hard coatings (spinach, radishes, beets and others) are best germinated indoors with a cool air temperature. It is best to plant them in open ground.

Why don't sprouts shed their shell?

If you sowed the seeds and waited for the shoots to sprout, but they do not want to shed the outer shell, it means that the sprouts appeared from weakened, completely unformed seeds that should not be picked - it is better to throw them away.

Sprouts do not shed their shell for several reasons, the main ones of which are considered to be the following:

1. Very superficial sowing.
2. The film was removed early from the container in which the seeds were sown, which led to the seed coat drying out.

To eliminate errors, it is necessary to periodically wet the “caps” - then the sprouts will shed their shells themselves. You can also try to carefully, without injuring the delicate sprout, pry the shell with a needle. You should not touch it with your hands, as the seedlings may die because of this.

For what reasons are seedlings elongated and pale?

If you received elongated and pale seedlings, this was due to:

Lack of lighting. If seedlings do not receive enough light, they are drawn to the nearest light sources. Therefore, you need to place them under the lamp itself or purchase special lamps for indoor plants who are able to provide wide choose spectrum of lighting required for plants. Seedlings develop and grow best if they are provided with 15 hours of lighting during the day.

Remember! Germinating seeds do not need light, but high temperature, but sprouts cannot develop in the absence of light, and they need to lower the temperature. For this reason, a couple of days before seedlings appear, try to lower the temperature and create maximum lighting. To keep the air constantly circulating, you can use a fan.

Elimination possible errors when growing seedlings.

Close location. In order to eliminate this drawback, you can move the pots apart or pick the plants, choosing a larger container for them. However, it must be taken into account that with each picking, the plants slow down their growth and development for 11-15 days. Sometimes, if necessary, using picking you can delay planting seedlings in open ground (if you need to wait until suitable weather conditions arrive).

Excess fertilizer. In this case, the seedlings are transplanted into soil that contains fewer nutrients, and then it needs to be treated with the Atlet preparation - either water the seedlings at the root, or spray them. The sprouts begin to be watered when two or three leaves form.

Why are seedlings uneven?

Friendly germination of seeds is observed if seed material of appropriate quality is used. However, sometimes sparse seedlings occur for other reasons:

If the seeds are covered with an uneven layer of substrate. At the same time, seeds that are deeper may either sprout with defective sprouts, or they will not be able to penetrate the thick soil at all, so they will not sprout.

If the seeds are sown in a clayey, weighted substrate. After watering, a “crust” is created on such soil, which prevents sprouts from developing - they cannot even break through it.

To sow seeds, it is necessary to use a light substrate, and it is best if the soil base is made up of high-moor neutral peat or crushed vermiculite. The mulch layer should have a thickness equal to the diameter of the seeds being planted.

As soon as shoots from large seeds appear, many gardeners try to quickly proceed to the next stage - remove the film, reduce the temperature, and increase the amount of water when watering. These sudden changes can inhibit the development of seeds that have not yet sprouted.

Due to maintaining wrong mode temperature and soil moisture.

When the seeds are oversaturated during the initial treatments, which were supposed to “improve germination.”

For what reasons is lodging and death of seedlings observed?

If you notice darkening and thinning of the root part of the sprouts, then they are affected by the “black leg”. The disease is caused by fungi of the Fusarium genus. The problem occurs when the soil is overcooled, overwatered, or the substrate is contaminated.

To neutralize new emerging shoots, it is necessary to steam the soil before sowing. If the initial signs of the disease have just appeared, it is necessary to remove the diseased seedlings with lumps of soil around them and stop watering. Place calcined sand under the stems. Then water the plants with a solution of potassium permanganate or one of the preparations: “Fundazol” or “Topsin”. However, the most reliable way remains to transplant young shoots into new soil that has been previously disinfected.

Unexpected lodging of seedlings can occur due to:

1. Untimely watering.
2. Excessive moisture, which causes suffocation of seedlings in the soil.
3. Low soil temperature, which promotes root rot.
4. Poor drainage.
5. Excessively acidic or alkaline soil.
6. Excess of microelements.
7. Cat urine, which affects the color of seedlings and is the cause of their lodging.

Why does the color of plant leaves change?

If the leaves of the seedlings are pale and dull, it means they do not have enough lighting or need nitrogen fertilizers. In this case, it is necessary to move the seedlings to a lighted place or use lighting (a 40-watt fluorescent lamp is required for half a meter of area, which should be installed at a distance of 14-25 cm above the plants). Seedlings grown from seeds have more high quality, if the seeds are sown later and grow under natural light, and not with early sowings under lamps.

The room temperature should be lower, the darker the room. However, the indicator should not be lower than +13.5 ° C. If the temperature is too low, the seedlings will stop developing and even die in such conditions.

Conditions necessary for proper development seedlings.

When nitrogen deficiency is noticed, the plants should be fed with a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea (the proportions should not exceed 7-10 grams of the substance per 10 liters of water).

If blue-red spots appear on the leaves of the sprouts, it means that the soil is overcooled and the plants do not have access to the phosphorus that their roots need so much.

The appearance of a dry edge indicates a lack of potassium. In both cases, the sprouts should be fed. For this, complex fertilizers are used. Also take care to create favorable conditions for seedlings.

Why do plants stop growing after picking?

After picking, the sprouts often stop developing for some time. The following reasons influence this:

Mistakes made when diving. For example, the long roots of the seedlings were not pinched, and when they were planted in the substrate, they bent or intertwined, which led to rotting or stopping the growth of plants or their death from fungal diseases, the pathogens of which can easily penetrate the plant if it is damaged. root system.

When an air cavity formed around the roots during planting, the root hairs began to dry out and cannot function well.

Low temperatures and lack of nutrients.

Some plant species have a negative perception of the picking process. These are plants that have a taproot and a weak root system - cucumbers, peppers and others. vegetable crops. Such plants are planted in open ground, and peppers and cucumbers need to be sown in separate containers, just a few at a time.

Before planting in open ground, seedlings must be hardened off. Hardening off begins on a cloudy day so that the seedlings gradually become accustomed to direct sunlight.

Have you encountered a problem when seedlings could not shed in a timely manner? seed coat? You probably noticed that such plants looked frail and were far behind their relatives in development.

Most often, the situation is resolved by the natural death of weak plants. When I look at such dead creatures, my hands are simply itching to help them quickly get rid of their seed caps;). In the article I would like to discuss with you whether it is worth doing this? And if so, how to carry out the operation with minimal damage to a tiny seedling?

Seedlings that have difficulty shedding the seed coat are rightly considered weaker. This means that such plants are less promising in terms of yield.

I have often even observed the death of such seedlings, since the remnants of the seed completely block their growth. The most obvious cause of trouble is bad seeds.

But several more versions come to my mind as to why seedlings are unable to shed their seed coat on their own:

• the seeds are planted at too shallow a depth;
• the seeds are covered with too loose a substrate;
• the soil was not compacted after sowing;
• The film that created the optimal microclimate in the container was removed early, and the seed coat became very dry in the dry air.

Let me note that there is no need to sound the alarm ahead of time. Give your green pets a chance to cope with this task themselves.

However, if the matter has clearly stalled, then you can help the poor people a little.

It is better not to try to remove the seed coat with your fingers - the cotyledon leaves of peppers and tomatoes are fragile and can be easily damaged by careless manipulations. Drop from a pipette or syringe onto the leaves warm water and wait until the cap softens a little. And only then try to carefully pick it off with the blunt side of the needle.

To keep the number of seedlings with stuck seed coats to a minimum, follow these recommendations:

1. Before sowing, soak the seeds so that they are saturated with moisture and swell. The seed coat will become soft and pliable and the plant can easily get rid of it. Comprehensive information on methods of pre-sowing seed treatment can be found here.
2. Sow dry seeds to a depth of at least 1-1.5 centimeters, and be sure to compact the surface of the substrate. Thus, the seedlings themselves will easily throw off the interfering “clothes” when they make their way to the light through a fairly thick layer of compacted soil. But here it is important not to overdo it and not to plant the seeds too deeply, otherwise you may be left without any seedlings at all. And one more thing: the seeds of crops such as celery and many other herbs are so small that they are sown with almost no soil. Therefore, the second tip does not apply to them.

Let's not forget that in nature there is nothing useless or superfluous, and the seed coat performs an important function up to a certain point. She supplies the plant nutrients, which he needs at an early stage of growth, when the root system is still poorly developed. Therefore, carefully monitor the condition of the seedlings and interfere with the work of Mother Nature only if absolutely necessary.

When growing seedlings, no one can give a 100% guarantee that problems will not arise in this sometimes difficult process.

And there is a possibility that there simply won’t be time to solve these problems.

Therefore, at the first signals that something is going wrong, it is necessary to urgently take measures to save the seedlings.

We would like to offer you the main problems encountered when growing seedlings and ways to solve them.

Possible problems with seedlings

• The first thing you may encounter is when the seeds cannot germinate. Why?

Old seeds are the main reason. Check the shelf life of the seeds.

To reduce the chances of such a problem occurring when growing seedlings, you need to soak the seeds in a stimulant before sowing.

• However, deep sowing can also be the reason for the failure of seeds. If you remember about, then the sowing is generally superficial. But the seeds and peppers are buried only 0.5-1 cm.

In waterlogged and cold soil, the seeds begin to rot, so drainage and holes in the container for ventilation are very important here.

In waterlogged and warm soil, if the bowl is placed on a radiator, the seeds may steam, so you can put a stack of books under the bowl. And to reduce soil moisture, holes are made in the bowl, placed on newsprint and sometimes the film is removed.

Do not place pepper seeds on a windowsill for germination, as they prefer higher temperatures.

This behavior of seedlings is possible for several reasons:

• in weak seedlings, which must be removed when picking. A strong seedling may also have a “cap”, then there is no need to remove it, help him get rid of it;
• seed sowing was too shallow;
• They hurried to remove the film or glass from the box with seedlings.

There is an exit! Every hour, wet the “caps” so that the plant itself can shed them, or pry them off very carefully with a needle. Do not try to remove it with your hands (even very carefully), as the risk of seedling death in this case is very high.

Uneven shoots can be caused by:

1. seed quality;
2. seeds of unequal size, large ones sprouted, and you moved on to next stage growing seedlings without giving the rest a chance to sprout;
3. sowing at different depths;
4. low temperature and soil moisture;
5. heat and soil moisture;
6. the seeds were oversaturated with pre-treatments for “better germination”;
7. they covered the seeds with dense soil, through the crust of which not all seedlings sprouted;
8. using heavy soil (clay); when watering, a crust forms, which prevents the seedlings from developing to their full potential.

What to do? To plant seeds, use light soil based on fine vermiculite. The thickness of the layer should be the same as that of the seed.

It’s good when the seedlings sprout together, but what a surprise when they begin to lie down one after another.

Why did such a problem arise with seedlings and what to do?

Quickly transplant the plants () into another container with a new steamed substrate or, as a last resort, treat the soil with protective preparations.

The reasons for the rapid lodging of seedlings may be:

• And everything seemed to be fine, but they carried out a pick, and there was a problem with the seedlings - the seedlings stopped growing, why?

Firstly, you need to pay attention to the fact that there are plants that are better not to pick - peppers, cucumbers with a weak root system, lupines with a stem system, gypsophila. Based on this, the best option For such plants, the seeds will be sown at once in separate bowls, several seeds each. For thinning, use ordinary scissors to cut off weakened seedlings.

Possible reasons that the seedlings stopped growing: they did not pinch the long roots, as a result of which the roots were injured when picking; moreover, such a plant has an increased risk of attack by fungal pathogens. When picking, it is important to compact the soil around the seedling; if this is not done, an air space will form, from which the root system will begin to dry out.

For seed germination, light is not important, but high temperature is important, but light and low temperature are important for seedlings. Therefore, make it a rule that 3 days after the shoots appear, you lower the temperature and provide maximum illumination.

Seedlings can stretch:

1. if the glass is dirty;
2. containers with seedlings are located far enough from the window;
3. dense plantings, as a result of which seedlings cast their own shadow on each other;
4. did not carry out the pick on time;
5. Tomatoes can become stretched due to frequent watering.

• When seedlings change color is a problem, you need to find out why. Why?

Pale leaves indicate that they either do not have enough light or require nitrogen fertilizers. Then you need to move the seedlings to a brighter place, if this is not possible, then use artificial lighting at a distance from the tops of plants 15-20 cm, per 0.5 sq.m. enough fluorescent lamp at 40 W. Lowest possible permissible temperature 14°C.

If it's not a matter of lighting, then add nitrogen fertilizers(urea 10 g per 10 liters of water or ammonium nitrate).

If spots purple, then the soil for plants is cold, so you need to remove the seedlings from the windowsill and apply complex fertilizer.

If dry edges appear on the leaves, apply monopotassium phosphate.

In this case, carry out 2 treatments with Fitoferm, the second is carried out 7-10 days after the first, during which time the pest populations are repelled.

• The seedlings are ready to be planted in open ground, but are there problems with weather conditions? Well, you need to delay the development of the seedlings.

Pinch the plants 20-25 days before planting, leaving 2-3 pairs of leaves. Measure the removed part, if it is the length of a matchbox, then root it and get even more seedlings.

Leaving it out of direct sunlight, start with 2 hours, gradually increasing until the seedlings can be left on the balcony overnight without frost.

• If colorless spots appear on the leaves, this is a sign of sunburn, so the first time you must expose the seedlings to the sun under paper.