Look at the sprout on the right: You can see there is a clump of dirt and a little mineral thing stuck on its "head". Should I let it keep growing like this? Should I pick it off? I'm worried about damaging it.
These are Basil sprouts, in an indoor pot.
Leave them be.
They will either pop open by themselves, or die.
If you try to help (well, when I used to try to help) the overall success of the operation tends to be less than just letting them be, as it's all too easy to kill the plant while trying to "help" it.
Small update edit: I've had some success with (repeatedly - fussing with the plants several times a day) putting water drops on the "stuck" seed appearing to help the process along (without the failures typically induced when I physically attempt to remove it.)
When I see it, I try to remove the seed shell, also on wild plants.
Just try to remove softly, and it there is resistance, wait an other day.
If you can, follow Ecnerwal advice "leave them be". I just cannot leave them.
