Topic: Leggy spindly seedlings....help and advice...please

[dingerbell]

Like a lot of A4A folks, I don't have the luxury of a greenhouse or coldframe to bring on seedlings. I just populate every windowsill and available surface with ice cream tubs, bog roll, trays with my germinating vegetable crop. My problem is that they all tend to shoot up towards the light and look so skinny and leggy that I'm not sure whether they will be viable specimens for planting out on the Lottie. Any advice please on preventing legginess and ensuring slower more vigorous stems and foliage????
An example is my Celeriac that are about 3" high and the thickness of a needle....Thanks....Dinger

[tim]

For example - 3" high, yes, but how far apart??

[Svea]

are they cold enough as well?
too much heat makes them grow too fast.

do they have enough space in their pots/are the planted deep enough?
sometimes a repotting can help

[robsa]

There have been a few threads about leggy seedlings recently. I think the general consensus is that too much heat is the problem.

I've had more success since turning the radiator off, keeping the windows open and the door shut. Of course, if you're using every windowsill and every room in your house then things get more difficult  ;)

Have you got space for a mini-greenhouse outside?

Robsa

[dingerbell]

I've noticed that the local garden center has an offer on plastic zipped up 5ft high mini-greenhouse thingies...are they ok for germinating seedlings or are they too cold??

[dingerbell]

I've noticed that the local garden center has an offer on plastic zipped up 5ft high mini-greenhouse thingies...are they ok for germinating seedlings or are they too cold?? The Celeriac are in individual modules but I think the problem is heat. My mwfe tends to like the house as warm as a Turkish Bath house.. ::)

[tim]

Choose your temperature! http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html

Those things need ANCHORING - according to other posts.

[Sprout]

I've got a platic mini greenhouse thing at home. They're ok for germination once the temperature outside warms up sufficiently. I use the indoor window sill method and then move them into the 'greenhouse' once established to harden off. Once summer comes (if it ever does) I will use it for germination. I've anchored it by placing 4 bricks on the bottom shelf. Seems to work ok - only blown over once in 2 years (when empty). Some of the plastic is starting to tear so only has a limited working life. Good for getting a start, though.

[lancelotment]

I've got a 70l bag of compost on the bottom shelf.  Server two purposes, warms the compost up and hold the greenhouse down!  Lance

[SMP1704]

All of my growing happens in a plastic mini greenhouse thingy.  It works so well, that I now have two, one with the cover still on and the other acting as the hardening off station (next stop lottie)

This is my first year and I was very worried about things germinating.  So I started everything off in the dining room in plastic propagators or in the heated propagator and I found the result was leggy seedlings......then I got a bit inventive and saved the lightweight foam/plastic type wrapping that comes with electrical goods (new TV in our case) and used that to insulate the inside of the greenhouse and placed bubblewrap under the pots - although this may only work for me as the location of the g/h has its own micro climate, being in an alleyway between two houses - anyway I digress.  The seedlings took longer to germinate but came through more normal.

I use the bottom shelf for storage - pots and compost, so that sorts out the stability but then the location helps a lot.

I still started off the toms, cucs, squash and pumpkin in the house and whipped them into the g/h as soon as they peeped thro, but still they seemed a bit leggy.

So I think the solution is to wait for Mother Nature.  My son wanted to sow some seeds, so I have him some of the marketmore cucumbers (only 2 weeks after my sowing) put them in the g/h in a plastic bag and they were thro in 7 days and now the first true leaf looks ready to put in an appearance.

So next year...I shall try to be a bit more patient ::) and wait for the weather to warm up and let nature take its course.

[plot51A]

My methods are much the same as SMP1704. I have 2 growhouses on my balcony - one wooden frame one (expensive - but harder to spot by the balcony police)) and one plastic Aldi 3 tier  cheap £11.29 or something silly which has to be my best buy yet. I now only use electric propagator for things like aubs, toms, squashes etc that really need it to get going and remove as soon as they germinate. Other things I move outside or germinate outside  as others have said, and am getting better stockier plants, even if it takes a little longer.
Now that the weather has turned warmer you really have to watch that the plastic greenhouses don't overheat - the condensation in them can be amazing. Mine has had the front open for about 3 weeks now to allow good ventilation.
The only things that have been allowed to luxuriate in the house for long - and are still doing so - are the aubergines.......

[sweet-pea]

That's really interesting about the heat, I always thought it was to do with reaching for the light.  My seedlings haven't got too spindly this year, but I suspect I'll be trying to reduce the temperature next year.

[Tee Gee]

My problem is that they all tend to shoot up towards the light and look so skinny and leggy that I'm not sure whether they will be viable specimens for planting out on the Lottie. Thanks....Dinger

Plant them a little deeper Digger, in effect bury the 'leggyness' if you can.

[dingerbell]

As usual everyone has come up trumps. This site is soooo informative. Thanks everyone...an end to leggy seedlings.....I hope....Dinger

[robsa]

sweet-pea - I think it's the balance of heat and light that is the important factor.

Growth is stimulated at higher temperatures but if you haven't got light levels to match then the growth will be spindly. People growing on windowsills have two options to maintain the balance - increase light or decrease temperature. The best thing for the seedlings would be to increase the light, but decreasing the temperature is usually the easiest to do (after the obvious thing of choosing a south-facing windowsill).

I may be completely wrong but that's how it seems to work from my experience.

Robsa

[bison1947]

Bourght a plastic one from Aldi last year 6 x 4 for
£29.99 did me proud with a small heater
Started sowing in mid January - Beans , Chillis , Peppers , Sprouts
Tomatoes altough things didnt shoot up quickly they did come up
eventually and are now all in there permanant planting posision

Bill....

[redimp]

My seedlings often go a bit leggy - I have some very leggy Savoy at the moment.  Never really had a problem though as they thicken up sooner or later and then I just plant them deep - I do this with curcubits as well and have never really had too much a problem with stems rotting.  Snails and slugs appear to be more of a problem.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I don't know what I'd do without my mini greenhouse, but I germinate a lot of stuff at home and put it out later. That way I can get seeds started anything up to a month earlier.