Market Farming

[Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>]

On Mar 21, 2014, at 9:56 AM, Pam Twin Oaks wrote:

Several of my pepper seedlings this year came up with fused seed leaves. Several varieties. Does anyone know what causes this? Was I impatient? Would they have separated if I'd waited? I pushed a knife through between the leaves to free them and let the seedling get better light.

I don't know what causes it, but I have often had a small percentage of solanacea seedlings come up like this. Usually growth will proceed normally in that the true leaves will develop properly (it doesn't seem to be necessary to split the seed leaves); but occasionally a seedling will seem to get stuck at this stage, and further leaves will not develop; in which case trying to split the seed leaves (or remove the seed coat, which may still be stuck on there) doesn't seem to accomplish anything useful. I've just been considering that an occasional case of failed germination, and cull those failed plants out once it becomes clear they're not going to develop any further; I always plant more seed than plants desired anyway, under the presumption that some won't germinate at all and an occasional one will just be weird.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think

Fresh-market organic produce, small scale