Helmet Heads - How I deal with them
 

It's the time of year when this curse is set upon us. If, like me, you don't pre-soak your seeds before sticking them in the mix, there may be something here for you. I'm not sure that pre-soaking helps. Your results may vary.

The following pictures show how I deal them. My tools for the job include some very sharp tipped tweezers, a squeeze bottle of water capable of delivering one drop or less at a time, and a steady hand.

Not all "helmet heads" can be removed immediately. We must be patient and wait until the cotyledons have emerged a good ways. Until then, we can only use our squirt bottle to keep that seed cover damp and soft. This will make the little plant's job of shedding the hull easier.

CAUTION: If the seed hull doesn't come off easily, wet it down some more and give it a few minutes to soften up. If you pull too hard, the little plant will come right out of the mix. So, the word of the day is "Gently, very Gently".

I hope this helps some of you with this dubious task.


Isn't this intimidating. You do all the prep work, gather the seeds, plant them in the mix, and wait nervously for your babies to make a showing. When they do, you have the dreaded "Helmet Heads".

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You must choose good removal candidates. If the cotyledons are not showing at all, removal ain't gonna happen.

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First, you have to get some water on those seed hulls to soften them up. Warm or room temperature water works more quickly than cold. Don't use hot water as that might kill (cook) the little plant.

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Then we can GENTLY pull off the offending hull and free the little plant to start its life for us.

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My squirt bottle has deposited water in a small enough quantity that it stays on the helmet head and doesn't fall to the mix.

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Note the water droplet on the one on the right. If you can achieve this, the softening of the hull goes much faster.

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Now, take those sharp tweezers and take hold of the hull on its end, carefully avoiding grabbing it across the middle. The middle still holds the rest of those little green thingies you are trying to free up. So don't squish the middle.

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Okay, you've got it. Now comes the hard part. You need to pull very gently. I SAID VERY GENTLY. If you pull too hard, you risk the whole thing breaking its little root and coming out of the mix. I SAY AGAIN, .... GENTLY.

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You'll be able to see the hull slipping and releasing the plant. Just be patient. When the hull finally comes off, it will seem like the little seedling opens up its leaves and shouts, "Here I am". This job is done. Now, find another helmet and repeat the process. I usually have several in the wetting down stage when I'm doing mine.

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Ted,
Very nicely illustrated!

Ted, I can't see the pictures,not your fault, but some fault with my software, but I also have a way to remove helmet heads that I think may work a bit better than yours.

Apply some of your own saliva to the head, let it soak in for an hour or so and repeat. Carefully squeeze it open, and if that doesn't work use tweezers.

It works since saliva has LOTS of enzymes in it that will digest the outer shell of the helmet head, softening it up/

Try it, you might like it.:)

Carolyn

Carolyn, I have tried the saliva method. Yes, it does work. But I have so many to do that I end up having to "wet my whistle" so often that I get too tipsy to finish the job. :))

My DW has issued the marching orders and I have to use regular water from now on. :surprised: :twisted:

However, from time to time, I find a way of utilizing the method you have described in such a way that she doesn't find out. 8-)

Have you ever heard of using a mixture of Beer and Tomato Juice to soften up Helmet Heads??? :?!?:

[QUOTE=ContainerTed;460673]Carolyn, I have tried the saliva method. Yes, it does work. But I have so many to do that I end up having to "wet my whistle" so often that I get too tipsy to finish the job. :))

My DW has issued the marching orders and I have to use regular water from now on. :surprised: :twisted:

However, from time to time, I find a way of utilizing the method you have described in such a way that she doesn't find out. 8-)

Have you ever heard of using a mixture of Beer and Tomato Juice to soften up Helmet Heads??? :?!?:[/QUOTE]

Nope, never heard of beer and tomato juice to soften up helmet heads, but I guess that's what you were using.:lol:

To increase saliva flow what you do is to chew on rubber bands. When I was in grad school there was a dentistry student doing a thesis with one of the faculty in the department I was in and Steve went around to every faculty member and grad student with a flask and a bag of sterile rubber bands and asked all to tell him when the flask was full and then he'd replace it.

His name was Steve, as I said above, I can't spell his last name, he was from Thailand and ended up being the dentist to the King and Queen of Thailand.:)

Carolyn

I will have to try this! thank you!

So far I've only had one helmet head out of 49 seedlings. Three applications of saliva about 15 minutes apart had it sliding right off.

I leave them to it and let nature take its course. I watch my seedlings closely and put them under lights as soon as the very first seed is up. Cover off. I use moist sterile seedling mix and keep it moist as I think failure of the seed coat to come off is a lot more common in dry conditions and with old seed. I also think heat mats contribute by making the plants germinate too fast before the seed coat is soft enough. I do not use a heat mat for germinating tomatoes. I do not see a lot of "helmet heads" but the few that do come up with the seed coat still on I just leave them alone. A vigorous seedling will grow and break itself out of its seed coat on its own and if it doesn't manage to do that then it's failed its first important test and gets culled there and then as a dud. Most will get out on their own. I am a ruthless tomato mommy and don't mess with weak/ abnormal seedlings any more. Plant two seeds if you can for every one plant you want and plan on selecting only the best and that will remove the temptation/necessity of nursing along weak seedlings.

KO

Nice demonstration Ted. I have doing the saliva thing, but am getting tired of eating dirt, even though I wipe my hands on jeans before getting spit. I usually am trying to take helmets off as I transplant.

This is the first year I have had so many helmet heads. Even with trying the spit, I usually end up breaking the heads off and having to toss the plant. I still have a bunch of helmet heads, so I am going to give your method a try. Thanks! : )

New definition of "a spitter.":twisted:

Insecticidal soap works wonderfully , too. I had some peppers today that have been germinating for quite some time now.. sigh... and as I was picking out the readier ones I happened to have a spray bottle of the insectical soap and I squirted a little on and it made them slide right off after a few minutes. I have way too may to spit at them.

ContainerTed, very nicely done! I soak my seeds until they show signs of sprouting and still get helmet heads. I generally do as KarenO and let them be.

My strategy for dealing with Helmet Heads is to cull them. I need plants to spring out of the ground and grow normally without taking up any of my attention other than watering. I figure that any plant that can't do that isn't holding up its end of the domestication bargain and can be eliminated.

Because I raise nearly all of my own seed, I don't allow the propagation of traits that I consider to be defective... If I started rescuing helmet heads I figure that I'd be encouraging more of them next year. I'm a culling maniac... If a seed germinates late it gets culled. If the cotyledons don't look normal it gets culled. If it grows slowly it gets culled. Helmet heads get culled.

Helmet heads happen most of the time because the seed wasn't planted deep enough and the soil medium isn't natural.
If the seed is planted deep enough the soil will keep the hull moist and drag the seed hull off as it comes up through the ground.

It isn't genetic.

Culling a helmet head is the equivalent of culling your child because they are cold because you didn't give them a coat to wear.

Worth

[QUOTE=KarenO;460867]I leave them to it and let nature take its course. I watch my seedlings closely and put them under lights as soon as the very first seed is up. Cover off. I use moist sterile seedling mix and keep it moist as I think failure of the seed coat to come off is a lot more common in dry conditions and with old seed. I also think heat mats contribute by making the plants germinate too fast before the seed coat is soft enough. I do not use a heat mat for germinating tomatoes. I do not see a lot of "helmet heads" but the few that do come up with the seed coat still on I just leave them alone. A vigorous seedling will grow and break itself out of its seed coat on its own and if it doesn't manage to do that then it's failed its first important test and gets culled there and then as a dud. Most will get out on their own. I am a ruthless tomato mommy and don't mess with weak/ abnormal seedlings any more. Plant two seeds if you can for every one plant you want and plan on selecting only the best and that will remove the temptation/necessity of nursing along weak seedlings.

KO[/QUOTE]

My philosophy exactly. I only keep one out of 3~4 seeds I start. Survival of the fittest from day 1.

[QUOTE=joseph;461811]My strategy for dealing with Helmet Heads is to cull them. I need plants to spring out of the ground and grow normally without taking up any of my attention other than watering. I figure that any plant that can't do that isn't holding up its end of the domestication bargain and can be eliminated.

Because I raise nearly all of my own seed, I don't allow the propagation of traits that I consider to be defective... If I started rescuing helmet heads I figure that I'd be encouraging more of them next year. I'm a culling maniac... If a seed germinates late it gets culled. If the cotyledons don't look normal it gets culled. If it grows slowly it gets culled. Helmet heads get culled.[/QUOTE]


Joseph, when you say you don't allow propagation of traits, meaning DNA, meaning Genes, I'm one of many, see those who posted above,who thinks there are MANY variables that can and do determine if helmet heads appear.

THE only time that I worry about them is if someone has sent me seeds for a previously uncirculated variety so that just the two of us have seeds, and then yes, if a helmet head appears, then yes, I try to get that newly germinated seedling going.

But I'm not one who believes that helmet heads are predetermined genetically.

Carolyn

Which ones to cull out????
 

Below are three pictures of some of my current seedlings. Almost half of those you see were helmet heads. Which ones should I have tossed?? Can you tell a difference now. Look closely. Some of those were given a few drops of water and had tweezers used on them. Which ones should have been destroyed???

Worth and I are on the same page. Just like our children, some of them will need a little bit more help than the others.

Now, that's my opinion. You have the right to yours. For me, it touches the "I wanna help" side of me.

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And where would my family heirloom (Maiden's Gold) be, if I had culled the helmet head. I just can't see wasting things.

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[QUOTE=carolyn137;461895]Joseph, when you say you don't allow propagation of traits, meaning DNA, meaning Genes, I'm one of many, see those who posted above,who thinks there are MANY variables that can and do determine if helmet heads appear.

THE only time that I worry about them is if someone has sent me seeds for a previously uncirculated variety so that just the two of us have seeds, and then yes, if a helmet head appears, then yes, I try to get that newly germinated seedling going.

But I'm not one who believes that helmet heads are predetermined genetically.

Carolyn[/QUOTE]

Wasn't adoption of the idea that aquired characteristics could be passed to offspring genetically one of the ideas that nearly starved the Soviet Union during the 30's?

[QUOTE=Stvrob;461917]Wasn't adoption of the idea that aquired characteristics could be passed to offspring genetically one of the ideas that nearly starved the Soviet Union during the 30's?[/QUOTE]

Yes it was as related to Lysenko:

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysenkoism[/url]

And it stretched WAY beyond the 30's as you can see from the above Link.

Lysenko was the one who said that Giraffes grew tall in response for their need to get a the leaves they used for food that grew in high trees.

Need I say more.;)

Carolyn

Analogy I use.
 

[QUOTE=joseph;461811]My strategy for dealing with Helmet Heads is to cull them. I need plants to spring out of the ground and grow normally without taking up any of my attention other than watering. I figure that any plant that can't do that isn't holding up its end of the domestication bargain and can be eliminated.

Because I raise nearly all of my own seed, I don't allow the propagation of traits that I consider to be defective... If I started rescuing helmet heads I figure that I'd be encouraging more of them next year. I'm a culling maniac... If a seed germinates late it gets culled. If the cotyledons don't look normal it gets culled. If it grows slowly it gets culled. Helmet heads get culled.[/QUOTE]


I agree with the culling of unwanted,weak,slow ,under preformers.I call it the "Kennedy Teeth Syndrome".Drives the wife crazy when I mention it.

[QUOTE=carolyn137;461933]

.......Need I say more.;)

Carolyn[/QUOTE]

Perhaps.
As these events fade from memory into history, its important to discuss them from time to time. I have discussed this with seemingly reasonable people who still appear comfortable with the idea that the giraffe/neck example perfectly describes how they believe evolution works. I find myself ill equipped to point out the flaws in this line of reasoning.

[QUOTE=Stvrob;461937]Perhaps.
As these events fade from memory into history, its important to discuss them from time to time. I have discussed this with seemingly reasonable people who still appear comfortable with the idea that the giraffe/neck example perfectly describes how they believe evolution works. I find myself ill equipped to point out the flaws in this line of reasoning.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I know that some feel that adaptation of traits occurs, just as I know about the huge disagreements that exist between concepts of evolution still being discussed today.

And it's nothing I want to get into either whether it be Darwinism, Mendelian gentics, Lysenkoism,etc.

Carolyn

Why is their neck long?
Every reason I can come up with I find a flaw.
To look out over the savanna to see predators?
Then why are they the only one?
To reach up into trees?
Same flaw.

I have came to the conclusion that people that go to the opra have longer necks so they can see better.
Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;461943]Why is their neck long?
Every reason I can come up with I find a flaw.
To look out over the savanna to see predators?
The why are they the on me one.
To reach up into trees?
Same flaw.

I have came to the conclusion that people that go to the opra have longer necks so they can see better.
Worth[/QUOTE]

Well, I am not a biologist, but I would say its not so much WHY their necks are long, but more of a matter of HOW their necks got long.

[QUOTE=carolyn137;461933]Yes it was as related to Lysenko:

[URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysenkoism[/URL]

And it stretched WAY beyond the 30's as you can see from the above Link.

Lysenko was the one who said that Giraffes grew tall in response for their need to get a the leaves they used for food that grew in high trees.

Need I say more.;)

Carolyn[/QUOTE]

Here's an interesting bit of text from that link. It was near the top of the page, so the writer may have been emphasizing the point.

"Lysenkoism was built on theories of the heritability of acquired characteristics that Lysenko named "Michurinism".[1] These theories depart from accepted evolutionary theory and Mendelian inheritance.

Lysenkoism is used metaphorically to describe the manipulation or distortion of the scientific process as a way to reach a predetermined conclusion as dictated by an ideological bias, often related to social or political objectives."

And, I still respect the right of others to think differently about "Helmet Heads". I just don't like anything to be, IMHO, needlessly wasted. It's your stuff and you can do what you want with it.

I believe I saw a commercial on TV for a "Save the Helmut Heads" foundation. Your charitable contribution could make a difference in the life of a neglected seedling.

[QUOTE=Stvrob;461989]I believe I saw a commercial on TV for a "Save the Helmut Heads" foundation. Your charitable contribution could make a difference in the life of a neglected seedling.[/QUOTE]

Yes you did see that on TV, I had my nephew who is very computer savvy set that up for me and all contributions are sent back to me.

Actually my nephew offered his help here at TVille shortly after the site was started as Mischka can confirm, quite true, and he also wanted to set up a webpage for me to which I said no way.:)

Carolyn

[QUOTE=Worth1;461818]Helmet heads happen most of the time because the seed wasn't planted deep enough and the soil medium isn't natural.
If the seed is planted deep enough the soil will keep the hull moist and drag the seed hull off as it comes up through the ground.[/QUOTE]

Or else it just won't make it to the surface and you'll never know about the helmet? :twisted:

[QUOTE=Worth1;461818]It isn't genetic.[/QUOTE]

I suspect you're mostly right, but I wonder if there might be some part of the cause that is the same factor that makes it possible to plant four tomato seeds in a container, where conditions are the same for all of them, and have one of them show up two months after its colleagues. Genetic difference in resistance to moisture, perhaps? One could see a possible survival advantage to plants that manufactured a minority of their seeds with tougher than average coats, so that if the initial "sprout" conditions produced plants at what turned out to be an unfavorable time, that plant would have some "backup" children who'd try again later in the season.

[QUOTE=Worth1;461818]Culling a helmet head is the equivalent of culling your child because they are cold because you didn't give them a coat to wear.

Worth[/QUOTE]

Perhaps it's the equivalent of culling your child by letting it collapse from heatstroke because you didn't help it get its coat off, when it had buttoned itself into its coat on a 110 day with no shade? :cry:


I guess I agree with both sides in this discussion, kind of. If I have plenty of seed of a variety that is producing helmet heads, I'm more likely to just plant enough seed and let the strongest make it -- but if I have time I may give them some moisture on the helmets. :|

If it's a variety for which the seed is rare, at least to me, them I make every effort to help. What I've had help the most, if just a drop of water on the head at frequent intervals doesn't do it, is to put a tiny little plastic wrap top on the moistened helmet -- just to make the moisture last longer. I don't fasten it at all, just sort of drape the *tiny* bit of plastic wrap over the helmet each time I moisten it.

I've used tweezers, too, but I'm unhappy with the results about as often as happy. I do like the scissor style tweezers for more precise control. Sometimes, after moistening the helmet head several times I've used that style of tweezers to just gently squeeze the moistened helmet head a little, without trying to remove it, just trying to crack or weaken the hard helmet structure and give the plant a better chance to escape.

Seeds that have traveled are more likely to have helmet head problems for me. Always reminds me of what someone, here or elsewhere, said to the effect that they were willing to spend time encouraging germination, de-helmeting, etc. seeds that had traveled because if those traveling seeds made it to seed production, *those* seeds were likely to grow like jungle weeds. (i.e. environmental stress, not genetic weakness, was most often the cause of apparent weakness in some first generation traveling seeds.)

If helmet heads are caused 95% by environment and 5% by how particular genetics interacts with the environment, then I feel like I am making progress by eliminating the 5%.

I collect tens of thousands of tomato seeds per year. It doesn't matter to me if any particular seed lives or dies. I'm not worried about wasting a seed. I usually start tomatoes in a large pot densely planted. I cull about half of the quick-germinating seeds while potting-up. The slow germinating seeds all get culled. Then they also get culled because of frost, or bugs, or blossom end rot, or failure to thrive.

[QUOTE=joseph;462111]If helmet heads are caused 95% by environment and 5% by how particular genetics interacts with the environment, then I feel like I am making progress by eliminating the 5%.

I collect tens of thousands of tomato seeds per year. It doesn't matter to me if any particular seed lives or dies. I'm not worried about wasting a seed. I usually start tomatoes in a large pot densely planted. I cull about half of the quick-germinating seeds while potting-up. The slow germinating seeds all get culled. Then they also get culled because of frost, or bugs, or blossom end rot, or failure to thrive.[/QUOTE]

I am curious if you have seen a progressively lower percentage of Helmut head germination eince you have been doing this.