seedling curl

[Randyp]

I've had quite a few batches of CIDP seeds germinate and grow their first leaf  over the past month or so in various stages. The last of the lot seem to have quite a few with a curled leaf, most of which curl of to the side of the pot rather than straight up. These were not grown in a community pot but placed in individual pots once the seed germinated.

I am thinking that it might be due to inadequate moisture during growth and the emergence of the leaf. I am sure I paid more attention to the first groups that began to sprout than I did the last bunch and probably not kept them with a constant moisture level.

Does this seem like a possible explanation and has anyone else had this condition in their seedlings ? At present they still seem healthy and I am hoping that the second leaf will grow normally .

Randy

[MattyB]

I've asked this too?  The one's I've seen curling (Bizmarckia) I thought were from too much humidity.  I don't know why I thought that though.

[BS Man about Palms]

Were they germinated in baggy's?

[Jeff Searle]

IMO, and I'm no expert, it just is one of those "it just happens" things that occurs. No logical explanations.

Jeff

[Randyp]

Yes Bill, all were baggie germinated. I had several hundred sprout before I began to have these occur.

Like Jeff said, maybe just a palm thing but I was just wondering what might be a possible cause and if the palm would develop normal new leaves.

Matt - did the biz survive and grow normally ?

[countrygentleman]

This has happened to me also on my CIDPs. I am about 6 months from germination and several are curled up. They start to straighten out after awhile. Don't fret it. :cool:

[Zac in NC]

I've seen it on Sabal X texensis and Serenoa repens, as well as Trachycarpus fortunei. Its just something that happens and I am a botany major in college and I am stumped also.

Zac

[Brian]

I notice it a lot when the tap root on remote germinating seeds are twisting. I always assumed the emerging spear followed the same twist.

Since I germinate everything in bags I see it a lot.

[Alberto]

This was asked a few years ago on the ´´second palmtalk forum´´(this is the 4th?)...and i remember vaguely it was something related to baggy germinating...? Some people said that maybe the reason was the seeds being moved in the bag during germination....

Does this curls also occur in seeds germinated in a pot????

[BS Man about Palms]

Thats what I was going to say, I've noticed it on seeds left in the baggies just a little too long..... I think if it hits the side, it starts curling. If its its happening in a pot....Dunno...

[iwan]

About 50% of my Jubaea sprouts did that after being potted up to liners from the germination container in a peat/pearlite mixture.

[MattyB]

If I remember correctly, the Bizmarckias that I saw were growing in Dave Minks greenhouse (Indian Rock Nursery) and a lot were like that.  I don't know if they straighten out or not. ???

[www.dadluvsu.com]

With my limited experience I have seen some seedlings curl...  I have only seen this happen with the seedlings are environmentally constricted.  Baggies, containers that are too shallow for tap root, and objects prohibiting upward growth...  Perhaps this behavior is built into Palm DNA as a defensive measure.  A twisting motion could serve to move obstacles in habitat that stop growth...  a motion that could be used by the palm to determine which direction would provide the least resistance for growth.   Whereas a straight growth would produce more resistance, ie. trying to grow through a fallen log vs. trying to grow out from under it...  

I can say I have never seen this behavior in any of my seedlings that were planted with adequate space for growth.   ???

[www.dadluvsu.com]

I don't think this is a problem when it happens....  Here is a photo of a Johannesteijsmannia magnifica that I ordered germinated from Ortanique (they are awesome! :laugh: )...  It only had an initial root coming out of the seed when I recieved it.  It is imaginable it was stored, germinated, and mailed in a plastic baggie.  As you can see, it had a spirally leave first but after it was allowed normal growth in an unrestricted pot it's second leaf is normal and healthy...  perhaps the spiral leaf syndrome is just a normal reaction to the stress of environmental growth restriction...  

[Randyp]

Thank you all for your replies and happy to hear it seems nothing to worry about.

I did notice some of the seeds that had germinated in the baggies did have a spiral corkscrew root but did not note which ones they were when planting in pots to be able to match to this leaf condition. I should have paid more attention. That will be my experiment for the next group I try and germinate.

Randy

[Kathryn]

I've seen this with many seedlings I've left in the bag for too long. I also saw it with Bismarckia seedings that were in pots. Must be a root thing.