seed shell still on sprout

[dmarc123]

i germinated 10 durban poison seeds (paper towel style) then planted in soil..

2 and 1/2 days after planting about half popped out nice and healthy, 2 no-shows yet and there are 2 others that popped through the surface with the seed casing still attached. One of them looks like a normal sprout but with the entire seed intact on top of the sprout, just split a little. The other is a little less extreme, just like a strong membrane over the top of the sprout, looking like its not letting the cotyledons out. Ive never seen this before, i was wondering what would cause this, and more importantly, what can i do to save these bad boys. i was thinking of trying to take the casings off with tweezers/pins, but wanted an opinion first. any1 got any suggestions??????????????thanx

o yea, theyve been under cfls since they broke surface

[Garden Knowm]

I usually take the seed casing off when this happens.. especially if it is holding the first set of leaves BACK. I will usually wait a couple days after it sprouts.. it is easier to take off without damaging the plant when the seed casing is dry and cracked.

BTW- common - don't sweat it : )

[latewood]

I 2nd that...leave it alone unless it is there in the way of new growth, be careful, you can damage the seedling if your not...goodluck

[elcheapo]

I had the same problem. The shell came off easily but the membrane was glueing it shut. Other seedlings were well ahead of this stage. So I removed the dry membrane very gently. This following pic is the result. I ended up having to rip it out and try again. Another valuable seed wasted! Leave it alone and hope for the best also plant another just in case.