Should I snip these cotyledons off?

filmost

filmost

This is one of my white habanero seedlings.  Shortly after it sprouted I noticed the cotyledon tips were yellowing, but then it started putting out leaves so I just left it as is. Today I noticed the tips are starting to darken a bit. Should I snip them off? Any idea what the issue is? All my seedlings are planted in coco coir and I only water when I notice the pot is light and the coir is dry. This past month I have only given my seedlings one deep soak.
 
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Judging by the only the portion of the cotyledon closest to the petiole being vibrant green and the rest yellow to dead I would say that you have two issues are interplaying:
 
1) Very high light intensity
 
2) Moisture stress
 
Under very high light intensity with limiting factors (nutrients, moisture, carbon dioxide) leaves will yellow with only the portion closest to the petiole and therefore moisture & nutrient pathway being vibrant.  The rest will be suffering - pretty much like your finger tips etc getting frost bite first.  A very dry environment - the surrounding air in particular will have the same effect.
 
Solution: seedlings require constant moisture regime as they are more prone to dessication - water everyday (even if you think they don't need it) and move them further away from the light source.  With better conditions the seedling will rapidly outgrow the need for the cotyledon and whether the shrivel or abscise naturally will be of no consequence.
 
     It's my understanding that it is normal for cotyledons to senesce after a while. They aren't permanent leaves - one their energy/nutrient reserves have been used up, they abscise. 
 
They shouldn't fall off until much later than this though. Dim the lights, less water for em. Don't snip, it's still getting half it's energy from them.
 
I think you're overwatering them. They will fall off if you do that and the plant will look light green. I wouldn't cut them off, but they will probably fall off on their own soon unless you fix what's wrong. It's way too early for them to fall off yet, but it's not a big deal. 
 
Feeding them anything in that coir?


Not feeding them anything. It's my understanding they didn't need anything until they are a bit bigger (?)
I think you're overwatering them. They will fall off if you do that and the plant will look light green. I wouldn't cut them off, but they will probably fall off on their own soon unless you fix what's wrong. It's way too early for them to fall off yet, but it's not a big deal. 


They've only gotten one deep soak from the bottom since being potted up so I don't think it's an over watering issue.

This particular plant is the only one with discolored tips. The others are all a vibrant green.

I may need to get a fan in there but, but again this is the only one.
Get a small fan moving on them and you need some sort of nutrients in coco.  If you are using only water that is probably your biggest issue.


Yeah I was considering feeding them next time i water. Coir is still moist so waiting until this weekend.
I'll try to move the light a bit further away as well. It's like two inches away from the tops right now.
I have also noticed two of my pubescens cotys are curled downward. Color is great though.
 
i think the plant will use up energy to heal the cotyledons...  they are probably becoming less useful now that they have their first true leaves...  i would snip them soon, about the time they shrivel up halfway up the cotyledons.
 
some of mine did this too and i ended up snipping them off once i had the first good leaves.
 
 
but yeah your plant looks realllly yellow?
 
some of mine did this too and i ended up snipping them off once i had the first good leaves.
 
 
but yeah your plant looks realllly yellow?


Yeah I just noticed it was greener towards the center of the cotys. All my other seedlings are that vibrant green color.
 
Mine are doing/did the same thing. Mine did this when I removed them from the heat source and took the domes off. I think it is mainly because less humidity. I'm letting mine fight through it. I wouldn't snip them off. Would probably stress them out more. They are still working for the plant.
 
millworkman said:
If a leaf is green it is providing energy for the plants.  Plants do not try to "fix" their damaged leaves.  If a leaf is useful to a plant it will stay, if it is not useful then the plant will drop it.  Leave it be.
Click to expand...
 
"leave it be" love it!
 
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