Topic: Leggy seedlings

[mysticmog]

I sowed some tomatoes out recently under cover and newspaper, and understandably they didnt do anything for a while, but suddenly last week (when I wasnt looking) they leapt up, still under cover, and have gone orribly leggy



apols for rubbish low res piccy - was taken with a mini digi cam...

Anyone got any ideas on how I can save them, or are they going straight on the compost heap...

[tim]

Great enthusiasm, and great picture,  but aren't you a little premature?

Unless you have a heated greenhouse - or similar - with lots of light - I would have left sowing till MARCH.

My thought would be to say 'hard luck' - ditch them - and be patient! = Tim

[Plantsman.]

All you can do now is to give them the maximum daylight  and lower the temp to the minimum that they require.

As I'm sure you are now aware, all seeds should be inspected daily.  If you should sow Amaranthus in heat, they can germinate within 24hrs.

[john_miller]

If you do decide to hang onto them then follow the latter advice. However if you do go that route you should remember that you will be weakening the seedlings and leaving them more open to opportunistic infections, such as damping off, and lose them anyway.
I would ditch them, as Tim suggests, and start again.

[cleo]

Sling them!!!-and wait a while.

As Tim says March is plenty soon enough.

Stephan.

[teresa]

what a shame looks like you have good seed by the way its germanated. I think were all getting that feeling of wanting to sow something but hang on another month at least.

[The gardener]

My first impulse is to sling them!

However if you have the right growing conditions you could prick them out, setting them at a depth where the the seed leaves are about 3mm (1/8th") above soil level.

At least doing this, and assuming they survive you should have a good root system when they are ready for planting out.

Again, because you have sown them a bit early you might find you will have to pot them up into 125/150mm(5"/6" ) pots prior to planting out time.

I don't sow mine till week 10 (mid March)

[mysticmog]

Thanks guys - I know it's a bit early, but they're in an offshot from my kitchen which is perfect temp with floor to ceiling windows so lots of light - toms generally do really well in there.  I've started them in early feb before and they've been fab.  I reckon I should have just checked in on them more often like you say Plantsman.

As The Gardener thinks it's doable, gonna try planting them out into lil pots and keep an eye on them - just don't have the heart to sling them as it looks like every seed has sprouted.

I promise I'll wait a few months before I plant anything else Tim  ;D - gonna take that long to get seed beds ready  :-X

Cheers again guys, will let you know how me babies progress..

[teresa]

If your going to try and keep them let them straighten up for a few days. and pot them on into either roottrainers or loo roll cartons which will be deep enough and not excessive compost. Water well and leave to nearly dry out better on the dry side no mould.
these can be stacked inside a seed tray with peat at the bottom just damp slightly.
I hate throwing anything away as well keep us posted and pic's on how you get on.
good luck

[Garden Manager]

I wouldnt worry too much. Strictly speaking the light levels are too low in january for seedlings, you should in future wait until february (at least) to start sowing, and then dont give them too much heat.

As the gardener says you can salvage these, by pr*cking them out and planting them deeper than they are know, this should make them stronger and less likely to flop over. This is something i always do with my seedlings. water them in (from below) and put them in a light but cool spot to grow on.

[Mrs Ava]

Now, my tom seed packets say sow in January, and so do my books.  I was thinking about starting mine of in a week or so. hmmm.....  Guess I shall hang back until February now then.  My book also says sow cucmbers now, surely that is to early?!?!

[tim]

Dear Girl - NO - do as we tell you!!

But to qualify that, do you have a heated greenhouse - or conservatory?

As I have said, my March sown toms can be frosted in a cold 'house - when I forget to cover them with fleece - which is quite often. Or lazinesss, more often!

And, as said, it's not just temperature - think LIGHT!

And almost everything will catch up with later sowing. = Tim

PS Later - if you read the small print, I'm sure it will say 'for heated houses, sow Jan'? But you've done it OK before ? But you don't say where?? And when do you harvest your first tom? Much earlier than late June?

[Muddy_Boots]

Just ditch them and start again in March!

Kate

[Mrs Ava]

Tim, I start them in my lightly heated conservatory, situated in Sunny  :-/ Essex.  I do normally start them anytime about now, but no, I suppose I don't start picking until mid June kinda time.  I do get impressive crops from just a few plants though, more than we can eat raw!  No, I shall follow your expertise and wait another month, I shall have to get Ava to tie my hands together though to resist the urge  :P .

[mysticmog]

I harvested some of  the last lot I grew that I started in Feb in late May when green (love fried green toms n chutney...but too early and they make you well poorly!)

They didn't go red till late June...cos as you say, there's no sun.  But worth it to have something edible growing at home....

They're looking alot happier today....pointing upwards in a gangly sort of way...bless em.

[Mrs Ava]

Bless.  I hate binning things, even when I know I should cos they are poorly, or I just have toooo many!  I reach the stage where I can't give anymore plants away cos everyone is sick of my handouts!  Betcha they will be fine MM, ;D

[tim]

OK EJ -  I had wrongly assumed no heat - and, probably, little light. So go your proven way and disregard such pedantic outbursts as mine. No way to speak to a lady anyway - however lightly meant!

But it might sit as a reminder to others less well placed. = Tim

[cleo]

For what it`s worth I start sowing toms in mid -Feb in heated propagators and they then go into a heated greenhouse,but that is for trade purposes as some folk want to make an early start. For my own use I delay sowing until mid march.

Cucumbers, melons and peppers etc get started off around mid-March,again with bottom heat.

I know it`s tempting to get going early but a plant that gets a `check` will seldom reach it`s true potental.

Where I do bend the rules however is how late I go on sowing-at least a month past the suggested times on seed packets-it`s not always succesful but the gains far outweigh the losses.

Stephan.

[ina]

Nooooooooo, don't throw them out! Do put a few more out at the end of february, just in case.

I have had mine look like yours even tho' it was later in the season. I think the gardener gave you excellent advice.

I would very carefully sink the long seedlings into a hole made in very fine compost and in a deeper pot, almost up the leaves and water the hole closed. As the seedling grows, I pluck the bottom leaves off and do the same thing again, up to the top few leaves and do that several times. In the end, just before planting out in the greenhouse, I have each one in a tall cartboard yogurt container (1 liter). The end of the roots are all the way in the bottom and the whole area that first was stem has grown roots as well. To plant out, I lay the long root almost horizontally in a ditch a bit shorter than the root + stem and support the top part with soil so it bends upwards.

Good luck. -ina

[The gardener]

You have got me curious now DD ???

Why do you pull off the seedlings bottom leaves.

I was once advised that if I were buying tomato plants from a GC never to buy them without their seed leaves, and here is you telling us to pick them off ???