I’ve sprouted a few Tahitian Pummelo seeds this year and out of the 3 that have come up, two of them are all white. Here’s a picture of the normal one vs one of the pale seedlings:
Is this genetic or environmental? Can they survive or will they be doomed? I put one in the sun to see if it’s tiny green areas would get larger, and it did not go well.
I had a bean plant once like that. It eventually died. I’ve been told it is a mutation.
Thanks @anon89542713, that’s kinda what I was thinking too. In that case they won’t get better and I will assume that they won’t make it.
2 out of 3 seems a little unfair, so I hope my other seeds wake up!
Maybe a virus?
No, it needs chlorophyl to protect it from the sun. Ironically if it is going to survive it needs protection from the sun.
I have no experience growing pumelo, but in many other plants it is often genetic. Albinism and partial albinism happens often in wide crosses, I see it often with old seed, it sometimes happens in perennial things that have not flowered for many years such as potato onions or tree onions, in some self incompatible species partial albinism seems to show up frequently and sometimes they grow out of it.
That seedling does look a bit too white for my liking, but you may be able to graft it onto a green plant if you protect it. I would keep it and see what happens, but I wouldn’t be too hopeful.
