| I have been planting different types of seeds for about a year now, and I have seen many times where the plant germinates with the seed still attached to the seed leaves. My question is: Is there a special thing that I can do to avoid this or shouldI not even worry about it? Sometimes I can pull the seed off, but other times I damage the plant. |
| When a seed germinates, it's like chick hatching from an egg. The sprout pushes open both sides of the seed coat, sends a root into the soil and a stem toward the light. The seed coat sometimes gets stuck on the unfurling leaves, but since it's only a shell, it won't hurt the leaf. Those first leaves are called seed leaves (cotyledons). They shrivel up and fall off after the plant develops "true" leaves. Don't worry about the seed coat, it will fall off on its own. As you've discovered, you can damage the leaves by trying to remove it. |
