I amm growing a couple dozen Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood trees) from seed. Starting in late March, I presprouted a bunch of them in a bowl of peat covered with saran wrap, then moved the sprouting seeds into individual Rootmaker cells.

I initially placed them where they got about 5 hours of direct sun. After the first few emerging seedlings dried up in the hot sun, I moved them to an area that's mostly shade with just a few peeks of sun in the morning, about an hour of sun in mid afternoon, then shade the rest of the day. They stay moist several days this way so I think I found a good balance. The remainder have started to break the surface, and I also presprouted a few more that I've since transplanted to the cells.

The odd thing is - I have noticed a strange phenomenon which I mentioned before. I have 2 Metasequoia seedlings that have actually lifted completely out of the "soil" in the cells they are planted in. Others still have the "arch" coming up but have not fully emerged.

Of those two, one left the seed coat behind and pulled the cotelydons out. The other looks like a tennis racket with a green handle - it has stood straight up, but with the seedcoat still firmly attached with no sign of it breaking or being pushed off. It's been like this for a week.

Will the seed coat eventually come off, or will the seedling struggle and eventually die? I *very* gently tugged on it and didn't want to break the stem or uproot it.

The other thing is -- when I pulled up the few that had shriveled in the hot sun, the root was barely 1/4" long, is that normal at first?

I will try to get some pics up later.