New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 142
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I find this happens a lot. A seedling will sprout, but the shell remains fixed onto the leaves, inhibiting them from growing. If this happens while they're under the hydration dome, I'm usually able to carefully pull them off, as they're moist enough. But once I've pulled them out from the dome, they dry hard and pulling them off usually results in pulling the head of the plant off.
Will they all ultimately fall off on their own? Is this just one of the casualties of Mother Nature, and I should just plant more so enough survive? ![]() |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Central Texas - Zone 8A
Posts: 196
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Helmet heads - lick your fingers (need to be pretty wet) and gently moisten the seed shell. Wait like 5 seconds and gently try and tug it off. Once it’s soft it will come off.
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southeastern PA
Posts: 1,420
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I have a small spray bottle of water. I spray it to moisten the seed coat and let it sit for a few minutes and then gently try taking it off. Usually, but not always, it works.
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 142
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Excellent - thanks for the good info! I'll give it a try.
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,890
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Here's another idea, learned from TV a few years back. Take a small piece of plastic wrap or cut a piece from a plastic bag. Spit on it, and then hang it over the seed so that it gets nice and wet. Leave for an hour or so. This really works
![]() Linda |
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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If they have leaves growing out of them leave them alone.
thay will be fine. Worth |
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#7 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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This question has been asked here at Tville many times before, and here is my answer that I give every time which one can find by doing a search here at Tville..
Take a gob of spit and put it on a small cotton ball and press it around the shell and leave it on the shell husk for about 10 minutes. Then take a pair of tweezers and gently pull off the shell,if it doesn't come off easily,repeat again. Saliva has many enzymes that can break down complex proteins,which are found in the seed shell and it works. Reasons for even getting such a problem are several, seeds too old, not enough moisture that's held in the germinating,mix,etc Hope that helps, Carolyn
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Carolyn |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Ireland
Posts: 211
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I take a drop of water on toothpick or the end of a label, and drop it onto the shell. Wait a minute, if it still is difficult to take off I add another drop, wait minute and try again.
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 142
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A successful shellectomy! Father and seedling are both healthy and recovering.
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#10 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
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Take you a big hammer and threaten the helmet head.
![]() If that doesn't work, everything written above this works well. ![]() |
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