A sprout that goes down, instead of up?

[Minoo96]

Hi everyone,
So... Been more than 4 (5? 6?) days it's in the soil, after 24 hours in rain water at 23°c.
Eventually I gave up and started digging for it to check on the seed, see what was up with it (did you get eaten by a bug perhaps, in which case I should find the shell empty). And there it was



I waited another 48 hours like this only. It hasn't moved. That's really weird according to me, is it growing toward the bottom?! Is the seedling not strong enough to tear through the soil? Should I dig it up a little bit more, toward the seed husk rather than the root coming out of it (the seed husk sprout out of the soil with cotyledons sometimes, thus telling me which side should pop out of the ground).

It's a freebie from a strain i've never grown before and would very much like to try, i'm doing my best to save it. Got 4 others growing on the side.



(If you cannot see properly the picture, it make kind of an archway, the right side being with the seed husk and the left side going in the soil, like a normal taproot would do)

Thanks for your time

[Campesino]

Looks like its just bent over and pushing up through the soil. Once above ground she'll straighten out and head up. This is typical. You can certainly try to help by micro-excavating the soil that is impeding her, but be very careful not to damage her in the process.

[Minoo96]

Yeah, she looks correct. But in 48 hours I expected her to actually make her way herself... I guess i'll have to do something this evening, 72 hours in this state is a bit much. she's exhausting her resources I guess.
Thanks for your reply

[Paracelsus]

I just had one seed take 8 days then it gave up the ghost. My mistake was the Soil was to compacted, I should of screened it into a looser loam before I put the germinated seed into the soil, I lost 4 out of 8 seeds.

[Minoo96]

Hey Paracelsus, yes i know! I'm very aware of that problem, i even bought special sowing soil... it's so airy, not at all compact. I have a hard time making it swallow water, it just sits as a fat layer on the top of the soil haha (i found a workaround by spraying water on the soil, then it can absorb the water).

It's NOT supposed to do this! I can understand getting eaten by bugs, but being not strong enough to go through sowing soil means its a very weak seedling haha!

Finally after digging just a little bit more with a hairpin, and spraying some water/air over it, I think there was some (good) changes today... I'll have to wait tomorrow to see if she's going to survive. Thanks for your input

[GreenhouseEffect]

She's definitely working on it, and might get there, but I think you're right to intervene if she doesn't pop out soon, just because of using up her seed energy.
On the bright side, I have seen plants that were the slow poke during germ, become my strongest plant and outgrow the others. If they are all sickly I toss them though. Breeders do lose some hardiness sometimes, coming up with all these cool strains!
Hope she pops for you!!

[Minoo96]

Thanks

This is only my second grow, last one I had a sick plant like you say, it turned out okay (long story short she was potted instead of grounded, like the others, so she could never have competed with the others). Now that you tell me this though, next time I might try to ground it, see if it comes out even hardier (it does make sense... Harsh youth = strong adulthood? haha)

And thanks for your input!