Seed #14 - Growing Fast

In the past week, the branches have more than doubled in size and are now growing branches of their own.

Seed #14 - Branches

Seed #14 - Transplant

The grow lights have been kind to this little guy -
I transplanted him today as well.

It was really nice seeing the progress in the root structure. If you look closely, you can see the start of at least two branches.

Seed #14 - Secondary Leaves

Seed #14 - The Toothpick Method Worked!

Yesterday, this little sprout was still stuck in his seed coat. So far, those that come up with the seed have had a hard time breaking out of it, so I tried holding the seed coat down with toothpicks. Well, it actually worked! When I got home today, the seed coat was still pinned down, and the cotyledons were pointing upwards.

Seed #14 - Further Out of the Soil

By tomorrow, this should be in a mostly upright position. So far, my sprouts that emerge from the soil without their seed coats seem to be the healthiest. What's happening is, as one stands up, if its seed is buried deep enough in the soil to be held down, the rising stem and buried seed coat help pull them apart.

I thought I'd try a little experiment here. I just placed two toothpicks (not pictured) in an X across the seed coat, with the hopes to keep it pinned down as the stem stands up. Hopefully, later tomorrow, the plan will have worked, and the seed coat is laying on the soil, with the cotyledons fully exposed.

Seed #14 - Seed Coat Sprout

Originally planted 5/14/07, seven days ago.

Seed #14 - Germination

This is probably the best photo so far of the side of the seed coat splitting as the radicle pokes through.

Originally placed in the coffee filter on 4/27/07, seventeen days ago.