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after the fact...leggy zinnia

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Posted by dcrosby 5MA (My Page) on
Sun, Jun 14, 09 at 18:17

Dear garden folk

I started my Zinnia a couple of months ago. I used a light table and kept the Zinnia seedlings just below the lights. As the seedlings grew I raised the light more so that the Zinnia continually touched the light. I raised the light a bit more as they continued to grow taller. By the end of the starting season at the time to plant, my seedlings were way too leggy and had/have no buds.

What's up with that? Where did i go wrong?

Thanks so much!
Dale

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RE: after the fact...leggy zinnia

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  • Posted by kandm 8b coastal alabama (My Page) on
    Mon, Jun 15, 09 at 12:22

If you are using a cool bulb it's ok for the plants to touch the light. Next time time leave the light alone a few inches above the plant. Don't make the plants use their energy to play catch up with the light. Also put a fan in the room so the seedlings are gently moved around by the air current. Doing this benefits seedlings because it causes them to grow shorter, stockier and more hardy. It's a form of mechanical stimulation that causes thigmomorphogenesis.

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RE: after the fact...leggy zinnia

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Thanks Kandm

I'm not sure of what kind of bulbs i have. I bought the light table specically to grow seedlings. It came with the bulbs. OK, next time i'll them the zinnia a little further from the light and add afan but even still i think they were on the way to legginess. What about the lack of buds? Why do the zinnia show no sign of budding.
Quite honestly i'm thinking of pulling them out and redo my garden (which is VERY small, btw) with some showy annuals Thanks again!

Dale

ps what's thigmomorphogenesis.

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