Split stem on seedling

CountDoobiestarted grow question 20d ago

I was checking my plants today, when I noticed that one of them has a stem that is burst open. I haven't handled the plant in any way. I only sprayed it wet every other day and it has a humidity dome on top. The plant is only one week old (6 days since emerging). The seed was pl

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GolliGrowsanswered grow question 20d ago

Looks like a split hypocotyl, not classic damping-off. That can happen when seedlings grow fast in very humid conditions and the outer “skin” can’t keep up, or when the shell/cotyledons pull a bit awkwardly as they pop. As long as the stem is firm, not mushy, and not pinched at the soil line, the plant can usually heal and form a little “knuckle” there. My advice: Stop spraying the stem directly – keep the top layer just slightly moist, not wet. Take the dome sometimes / vent it more so it’s not constantly 100% RH. Add a very gentle breeze so the seedling can strengthen its stem. Optional: give it a tiny support (toothpick + loose tie) for a few days. If the split area turns brown and corky and the plant keeps growing, you’re fine. If it goes dark, slimy and the seedling flops over, that’s damping off – then there’s unfortunately not much you can do for this one. Good luck! 🙏

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Qutroanswered grow question 20d ago

Nothing to worry about. I’d take the dome off and let her strengthen up on her own with a bit of airflow. The stem will toughen up naturally in no time 🌱

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00110001001001111Oanswered grow question 20d ago

wow, read after and ther's a lot of consensus... a uniting question

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00110001001001111Oanswered grow question 20d ago

may need to reduce light --- then amp it back up once you get some proper node spacing. You are about to stall that plant. Don't spray it. Wet plants are just causing a disease vector. Unless you have a very dry climate, don't need the dome anymore either. No idea on the stem. Never seen that before. Dry is also better than wet for the damaged stem. Growing bacteria there won't help the healing process. I'd let it heal and see how it goes.. doubt it happens again, but if the plant has some odd deleterious mutation, you'll find out soon enough with time.

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Organomananswered grow question 20d ago

Remove humidity dome, water it, don't spritz it. It will heal if kept dry and will most likely grow without any issues. Seedlings do not need high humidity (domes), they need air movement for gas exchange and to strengthen stems, Domes just encourage weak sappy growth, prevent proper transpiration and can increase the risk of diseases. Only clones need high humidity and only while waiting for roots to form.

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Captain_7answered grow question 20d ago

Looks like oedema to me. The environment is too humid so the plant can transpire properly. As long as there’s no secondary infection it should heal itself

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Ultravioletanswered grow question 20d ago

If she is not dead already and still going, just keep on trucking. It may potentially be a problem if you plan on doing bending of the stem later in life, as it may test the integrity and become brittle under pressure, but so long as you keep that section straight, I can't see it being a problem later, unless there is undue pressure to force a snap. Gluck.

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