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[plantlight]

I'm following the tek here:  http://sharetheseeds.me/forum/index.php?topic=2404.0

Two healthy looking seeds appear ready to shed the seed shell.  I'm only showing one of them as an example. 
 
Question: Which picture (1 or 2) shows the seed with the best chance of survival?
1.  I had a gnat invasion from using a pinch of store bought seed starting mix added yesterday so I stripped out the sphagnum and misted with 0.1% H202.  Looks healthy to me out in the air.  Perhaps it can shed the coat if I let it be.
2.  I replaced the sphagnum with some sphagnum shredded in a spice grinder. This might be too restrictive and I wonder if it might damp off.

Other pictures:
3.  In it's dome inside of a humidity box after the fix today - must be 100% RH in there.
4.  Following the tek, I had placed the germinated seed in a snug hole in moist soil (1:1:1 compost, perlite, and vermiculite) and surrounded the seed with sphagnum.  The lighter sphagnum is what I used to germinate the seed and surround it to keep the seed coat moist.  The darker color is the gnat infested mix.


Any other comments appreciated, I'm running out of seeds and I'd rather not start over.  I started with 4 of 5 germinating but one of them is gone and the other doesn't look good.  I'm counting on the 2 healthy remaining ones to make it all the way.

[Urban Elements]

Both look fine to me. They are still a little small to worry about the shell much. They will stand straight up when they start breaking free most the time.   

I have pinched away the outer shell after getting it nice and moist on a few with good results. There is a second shell inside the grooved outer one.

Now I just put the whole thing in a gal Ziploc and let the plant shed it while at 100% humidity.

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[plantlight]

So they will stand up straight with the seed coat on and after that they will shed the seed coat? 

[Urban Elements]

Yes

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[plantlight]

Ok, thanks!  I'll have to get a taller bottle top then! 
. . .or maybe a ziplock.  Good to know they're ok.

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[Urban Elements]

The ones I just posted I am doing with no humidity domes or bag. Just spraying with distilled water on the daily.

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[Stonehenge]

I keep the dome over them until they have at least one set of true leaves and the next set coming in.

I have novo seeds and a couple seedlings for trade. I should put that in another section. Sorry Cat.

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[plantlight]

New question:  how long should I wait before attempting to assist seed coat removal?     Will there be any signs it needs help? 

The third seed has spring to life, and has been standing straight up for about a week.   Both of the first two  stood up straight and shed the seed coat very quickly after that.  They are on the second set of leaves now.

[Stonehenge]

Do not try to remove seed coat. Almost all the time you will kill the plant. If its been a few days and it has not progressed, then you have nothing to lose but if it makes slow progress then leave it alone.

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[BubbleCat]

Spit on seedcoats that wont shed or are not soft enough to shed.

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[plantlight]

Sadly, I removed the seed coat after 10 days and the cotyledons were brownish.  I was hesitant to remove it because I was afraid I might damage it.  It turns out that I didn't damage it but 10 days is too long.  The first 2 shed their coats within 2 days of standing straight.

The good news is that the other 2 are doing well.  Success rate is 2 of 5.  Thank you all for the advice.

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