Newbie - Transplanting new seedlings

juudyshouse2012

17 years ago

This is the first time I'm growing vegetables from seeds. I have them under lights, but they are still growing thin and leggy and then falling over right before they get their true leaves. They're not dying, but seem weak. I tried to run a small fan on low, because I read that it strengthens the plant, but it blew them over even worse!!

2 questions...

1. When I transplant them the first time into their own little 4" cups after they get the 1st pair of true leaves, do I bury them in the dirt so only the leaves are outside and they are standing straight up? I did this to some of the lettuce plants and it seems like they are doing good.

2. Could the reason that the little seedlings are so leggy be that they're too far from the lights? They are only a couple inches from the lights. But, they still grow and fall over before they get their first true leaves.

They do seem to do okay when I transplant them, but it is really hard because I don't want to touch the spine and I'm so afraid they are going to bend and die.

So far I've got broccoli, brussels sprouts, romaine, leaf, and buttercrunch lettuce, and Italian parsley growing indoors. Can spinach be planted indoors, or should I just plant it directly outside?

I need a little help to get though this! :) Thanks!

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Comments (4)

naturemitch
17 years ago
Hi Judy,

What kind of soil are you using? You seem to have the right height with your light fixtures, and not having a fan blowing over them shouldn't cause the extreme weakness you are experiencing. It does sound like damping off to me.

Are you getting them to the lights as soon as they germinate? I have lights over my heating bed...so the plants immediately get light on them...and that light is about 6-8 inches away from them and I see no negative effect on them. Maybe you're getting some legginess if you have some lag time between them germinating and you getting lights over them?

As for transplanting, I tend to bury them somewhat deep as well. I won't cover the crown of the plant, but alot of the stem is buried....has worked great for me. I think you can see this with your lettuce plants.

Oh, and I hardly wait for the first true leaves. It is easier for me to get them out of the germinating pot(4")when the roots aren't so intermingled. As soon as I can handle them...out they come. This seems to work much better for the plants...I lose very few in this manner....and I think it stresses them less.

As for the spinach...I've got some growing in the basement right now...I'm experimenting:)

good luck...I'll try to help more:)
m
juudyshouse2012
Original Author
17 years ago
I really don't think it's damping off because the stems are healthy, just leggy which makes the seedling fall over. It does seem that once I transplant them deep into a deeper individual 4" styrofoam cup, they do okay. But, I still want to know how to get them to grow from seedlings so they're not leggy and spindly. I just started some new lettuce seeds and I'm going to try to put them really close to the lights, like 1" away. I'm just using T-12 fluorescent 40 watt bulbs on regular shop lights. So, maybe the lumems are not that strong. I do keep the lights on for 16 hours each day.
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deborahz7
17 years ago
Are you using one warm and one cool 40 watt bulb? That provides the right spectrum of light. They should be an inch or two away from the lights.
naturemitch
17 years ago
Judy,

The only thing I can think of why you are getting leggy spindly seedlings is not getting light on them as soon as they germinate(considering you said the stems are healthy). Once they germinate they also should be pulled off of your heating mat.

Are your seedlings pretty crowded? This crowdedness will also cause those seedlings to overextend themselves....solution...transplant them out as soon as you can handle them. The longer they stay crowded the taller and weaker they will be. I don't wait for the first true leaves...and this could be why I don't experience taller, spindly seedlings. Give that a try and see if that works for you.

m