• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

Chocolate Bhut helmet heads?

muskymojo

muskymojo

I've got a good selection of seedlings started (about 30 varieties so far), but Chocolate Bhuts are the only ones giving me trouble with the seed caps stuck on. Every variety so far has had the exact same conditions, but about half of the Chocolate Bhuts still have helmet heads. I grew them last year, but I don't recall having any issue with them like this. I'm not too worried because I have plenty of seed, but wondering if anyone else has noticed this with them? If they don't come off I will try soaking the seeds longer and/or planting them a bit deeper.

Thanks!
 
Don't remember what thread I got it from...but I'm using a weak tea for my soak and its working great.
My first batch of starts had of ton of seed hats, but since then I have only had one in the last 2 batches! Anyway, I think it was Big Cedar that suggested using nail clippers and tweezers for removal, and I had a 100% success rate with that technique. In spite of a few too many beverages during an early attempt at the procedure where I snapped the tap root pulling too hard. I finished removing it and stuck it back in the soil, watered it well and it wilted then came right back??? Some say they will eventually escape the shells, but I tried leaving one on and it got really spindly searching for light, so I got impatient and removed it...my caribbean reds were the worst offenders. My second chocolate bhut started hooking up yesterday and it looks like it might wear its hat when it comes up....

Good luck!
 
I was successful in trimming around the edges with a pair of miniature curved scissors. It’s a slow and painful procedure…meaning very time consuming. It’s definitely not for everyone.
 
I've found that when I planted my seeds too shallow, I got a lot of helmet heads. Fine line between too shallow and too deep.

At the perfect depth the seed cap stays in the soil and the cotyledons have something to pull against.

Soaking definitely helps.
 
I am on the side of leave it alone. You will get true leaves and they will take care of the plant. It takes all my will power not to screw with it but I have killed a few seedlings.
 
I just spray their helmets a few times a day to loosen them and then squeeze the sides of the seed gently and slip it off. Or you could just leave them alone and they'll lose it naturally, but I like to mess with things.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top