onion seedlings aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!

[simmo116]

hi guys am worried about my onions they have all gone limp and bent over! and i dont know what to do.... i dont know if its damping off or they have just got to leggy. what do you think?

[simmo116]

[tonybloke]

probably due to insufficient light, does not look like 'damping off', as this occurs at compost level. is the windowcill north facing?  your seedlings look as if they have lost turgidity, give them more light, they might recover!! ;)

[rosebud]

 Put a sheet of silver baking foil at the back of them all like a screen to give maximum light, good luck.

[Tee Gee]

They look OK to me! very similar to my lot.

They tend to do this when light & temperatures drop.

What sort of temperature are you keeping them at?

[simmo116]

hi tony bloke. as you can see the onions are on the windowsill in the conservatory. not sure how much more light i could give them without turning to light boxes and im not sure i want to go down that route.(could my sons imaginary cat friend be piddling on em?..lol...) dou you think its worth giving em a spray of chestnut compound to be on the safe side. or tying to tooth picks to keep em up straight?

[simmo116]

the temp gets down to about 7-10 degrees at night.

[tonybloke]

a weak solution of any anti - fungus won't hurt!

[Tee Gee]

Thats the general temperature I have mine at although I have half of of them on bottom heat but much darker. My greenhouse roof is covered in snow and blocking out light!

dou you think its worth giving em a spray of chestnut

I wouldn't unless they need watering.

I keep a hand spray at the ready with a fungicide mix in it and just spray when the need it.

If the root system gets too wet they get cooler/colder which is not what you want.

At this stage they are not taking up much moisture in any case so steady with the water is my motto.

[tonybloke]

just been outside to take a photo of mine, they are in an unheated greenhouse. I started 'em off indoors, and as soon as showing through, outside with them! in their own little propagators (which get removed on better days than today) your's might be a bit too warm?
[attachment=1]

[simmo116]

im stuck as no room in shed and no greenhouse.after i 1st soaked the jiffy pellets i lapsed and they appeard to have dried out(tops were visibly dry) so i gave them another watering. i just feel a right pleb head as not sure if watering to much. ??? ???

[tonybloke]

if you pick up one of the jiffy 7's and squeeze it, can you get water from it? if so, they too wet. ;)

[Little Bee]

Hi.Your onion seedlings look perfectly normal so don,t worry....they don't always stand to attention when so young LOL :D

[davyw1]

If you are worried about the flopping over give them some support

[attachment=1]

[tonybloke]

that's a nice set of support wires Davy, do you grow onions for the show bench, perchance? ;)

[davyw1]

that's a nice set of support wires Davy, do you grow onions for the show bench, perchance? ;)

I do Tony but i think they are just Kelse. The wire is just bits of copper wire......it does the trick.