Tomato and beet seed producing double stems? No....

I've noticed that half of the tomato seeds (Cherokee Purple) I planted a week ago in a seed tray under grow lights have produced what looks like a double stem. I know this is not possible, right? I must have accidentally planted two seeds very close together. The strange thing is that I'm seeing the same thing for some of my beet seeds. I'm 99% sure it's that I was a bit fat-fingered when planting this entire seed tray -- neither tomato nor beet seeds could possibly produce a double stem, right? Thanks. (Beet seedlings and tomato seedlings below)

Yep, this is a fat-finger issue (me too). I use a little scissor to cut one off, so only one will grow. I have found that pulling one out sometimes disturbs the one that is left to grow.

I think that most beet varieties CAN germinate more than one plant per beet "seed".

"It’s important to note that most beet seeds are multigerm (though a handful of monogerm varieties do exist), meaning there is not just a single embryo in each seed but rather a cluster of several. This results in multiple plants emerging from each planted seed, making thinning compulsory."

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/bountiful-beets

Tomatoes, however, only have one plant per seed. Maybe two seeds stuck together and were planted as one?

Yeah a beet "seed" is actually a cluster of beet seeds so what you see is common to them. Tomatoes will develop what is called a fused stem now and then as in the one plant in your picture on the right. The others are sprouts from separate seeds. Many growers germinate 10-20 seeds in each cell and then transplant them to separate cells after sprouting.

DG is great- I just learned something! Thanks Rick, Corey and Dave.

Thanks, RickCorey. I just read that article in Organic Gardening about beet seeds commonly being multigerm and therefore truly generating multiple plants from each seed. That's amazing -- I guess at least in the case of the beet seed I wasn't being fat-fingered. So when the author of that article suggests that thinning is compulsory the implication is that even though many beet seeds do produce multiple stems per seed, you want to eliminate all but one, is that right? And I'm sure it's best to do that early, like right now. So I just snip off one of the stems?

I'm sure leaving it as a double stem would not bode well for the beet that would ultimately grow from this double-stemmed plant.

Thank you for this -- I wasn't at all aware of the botanical phenomenon of seeds containing more than one germ, and therefore pushing up more than one stem.

The more I think about this, though, the more unsure I am. A mature beet plant does have several stems growing out of the beet root. Maybe my double stem in the seedling is simply a prefiguration of that normal condition. Maybe when the author suggests that thinning is mandatory he didn't mean snipping off the second stem of a double-stemmed seedling but rather that since double- and multi-stems are common it's important to thin out individual seedling plants after they're planted in the garden to ensure that each plant has room for its multistems to grow adequately.

Thoughts on this? Now that I think about it, when you purchase beet seedlings they do have multiple leaf stalks, and full-grown beets do as well. I just don't know if those grow out of a multi-stem seedling.

This message was edited Apr 1, 2015 1:53 PM

I didn't know that more than one stem grows out of each beet root. That does make it more complicated.

I just know that root crops need room for the root to develop.

>> it's important to thin out individual seedling plants

I would agree with that. If two "germs" or embryos both sprout within less than, say, 1" of each other, the roots will be too crowded to grow nice beets.

One source suggests planting the seeds 1" apart, I guess even in flats.

This source suggests 3-4" spacing if you prick out beet seedlings and transplant them into regular spacing. That pricking-out process would let you see the roots so you can truly get one plant per transplant.

I've heard some multi-embryo seed called a "fruit" containing multiple "seeds". I forget whether that was beets, chard, or something else.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/transplant-beet-seedlings-36341.html

I think all those lumpy goosefoot family seeds are multigerm and I think they all need thinned, but especially the root crop ones. I know they used do this in commercial fields of sugar beets, which were planted with a seeder that does spacing. I don't live in a sugar beet area anymore, but I presume they still do this.
In my seed trays, no matter how obsessive-compulsive I am about spacing the seeds, they always manage to scoot around a bit. I think they must float then settle a bit when watered or something.

You just made something come clear for me. I thought the seeds were playing with my head by germinating 100% when I sowed them thickly, or germinate 5% when I sow them thinly.

When I test dubious chaff from seed pods I collected, they often seem to germinate around 500% or more,since there were no visible seeds and the coffee filter looks like a Chia Pet.

When I buy good seeds and lavish care and attention on them, nothing emerges.

But you just made me realize: there must be Seed Fairies!

They flock to the homes of people who start seeds indoors and do their work late at night.

They move seeds around, sow extras, and steal the most valuable seedlings.

NOW I understand what's been going on!

Well, that would explain a lot ... including "I don't remember planting that (ever anywhere)"

Pollengarden, sometimes Seed Fairies disguise themselves as birds. I have a big Holly tree planted outdoors by a bird-like Seed Fairy.