Partial or very slow germination, what to do

I started germinating 3 seeds in paper towel on the 9th. 2 sprouted nicely after 3 days and now have their first leaves:


The third is not doing as well, you can see a slight amount of green at the end pushing away from the seed but it does not seem to be pushing out any more at this point. Is there anything I can do to help it?

You don't list any past experience and I can see that this is your first post.

So, first of all let me welcome you to RIU!

Secondly, don't expect 100% germination (unless that is what you are used to, based on past experience).

Thirdly (and perhaps more to the point), sometimes it just takes longer. I have heard as long as three weeks.

Fourth (and last), that "green", as you put it, looks like the beginning of a taproot to me.

looks like nuber 3's a dud, they look like little cotys to me, the roots dont turn green leafs do you could try and remove the shell for her, or leave her and see if she takes, imo id bin her if she cant even make it out the shell how can she have a pound hanging off her!!!

did you ph soak the rockwool???

Keeping the shell moist and warm, (80-85 from my exp) will help keep the shell soft and easier to be pushed off.

Im having same problem. Sorta. Got a fem somango and a auto critical cheese started germ on 13th Nd the critical sprouted within 24 hrs but the somango is going on five days. Anyone germ a somango before. How long should i wait?

I've had seeds take 6 days or more.

Here's the day 9 pic, poor girl seems to be trying. I would put it in a bin if they weren't so expensive and long to come by. I'd like to get it into the rock wool and hope for the best - if I did just put it in the wool do you always put them in with the seed cap up - or do they ever come out the other way? Cause I was thinking the green spot look like leaf....


With regards to PH'ing the rock wool of the other two starts, I soaked them down with tap water (ph 7) when I first put the seeds starts in, then flooded them with ph 5.5 water the next day. I've not understood the science of soaking the rock wool far an hour before using them - why not just a minute instead? The wool seems to instantly saturate itself....

Gotta admit, it sure is strange looking tap root,I would plant it seed cap down, really doesn't mater, the plant knows which way is up, it will right itself if needed, as for ph'ing the rockwool, I soak it it in 5.5 ph for 2 maybe 3 hours before using, the reason being that rockwool tends to raise ph and you have to maintain it, for hydro I then go to 5.8 ph for hydro, for soil I would go the 6.5.

The coty's are breaking out of the shell because the taproot is taking up all the room in the shell. IMO sit and wait, sometime slow starters are only just slow at the start