My first thought would be that pansies are a cool season annual. So it may be that the light is to hot??

I had an algebra teacher that had a poster on one of his walls. The poster said "The only stupid question is the one NOT asked".

I do not think anyone minds questions!!

Are the plants pictured the ones you are talking about, or samples from some where else? Your description of how you are growing yours would not result in pictures like these, in my opinion. Al

I think they look great! Maybe just a bit wet.

The first leaves or cotyledons will die back and fall off as the plant matures, this is normal and I would not be concerned

Keriann~

Yes, these are the ones I'm growing. The soil temp is being monitored and is at 75 degrees, I can't get it much colder because the light is putting out a lot of heat.

How did I throw you Al? I guess I said "peat pellets" when I actually meant expanding Burpee peat things that aren't pellets in the way that Jiffy's are?

Here are 3 different seedlings growing under the same conditions - in the last one you can see some of the other flats. Are you thinking I don't have enough light to burn them or what about the seedlings looks off? I measured 1500 foot candles at the flats under the 8 T5HO lamps. {{gwi:231824}}From Plant Diagnosis
{{gwi:231825}}From Plant Diagnosis
{{gwi:231826}}From Plant Diagnosis

Pansies start dieing back when the weather gets warmer. 75 for a cool season plant is to warm. Cool season plants tolerate freeze and frost better than they tolerate heat!!

Why are you starting them this late?? They should of already be out in your flower bed by now!!

If I am looking at the pansy pictures correct the true leaves are what are dieing not the cotyledon!!

What through me was you said you were keeping your fluorescent lights 12 inches from the plants which should have given you leggy seedlings, which these were not. Al

Oh... I didn't know. I was following the directions on the packet which said to indoor sow 8-10 weeks before the last frost. I started them on Feb 14 and my avg last frost date is supposedly April 15th.

I agree, it looks to me like it is the true leaves dying but I wasn't watching them closely enough to to be sure. I guess I will know soon enough... I'm not sure how I could cool them down and keep the light levels appropriate.

Will these be hardy enough now to take hard freezes? It's going to be 28 next week. Maybe I should take them out during the day and bring them in if it will freeze?

Ah, yes - I'm fairly sure low light levels aren't the problem. This isn't a regular shop light - this is a bank of 8 T5HO lights - 432 watts, ~40,000 lumens at 6500k. One of these lights allows several citrus trees to set fruit indoors with no problem.

As I said it's 1500 foot candles at the tops of the seedlings which I thought was appropriate but maybe it's too much. Or maybe it's just that I didn't realize I needed to keep them much cooler than I have been..

Oh, that makes more sense.

Yeah, my bad they are the true leaves.

YES, you can harden them off and get them oustide now, they can take the light freezes, just make sure you do it slowly and put them out for their first few days in above freezing temps.

They will love it!
Keriann~