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seeds Thoughts about growing seedlings

W

wordwiz

Ignoring germination, I would like to read everyone's thoughts about raising the seedlings that sprout.

One problem I have encountered, no matter what I have tried is plants intially getting leggy. Usually not a problem if they are going to be moved to a larger container but I don't really want to have to transplant 850 plants.

My Plan F (A, B, C, D and E have not worked as well as I would like) is to put about a quarter-inch of potting soil in a 2.5 inch tall cell. Put a seed on the top and lightly cover with more potting soil. Germinate the seeds under lights that abut the top of the cells.

The seedlings are going to get leggy, no doubt, but once they reach a tad above the top of the cell, add potting soil so only the two leaves show. Keep them under intense lights until they get ten inches or taller, then move them outside to harden off.

Does this sound realistic and logical?

Mike
 
my first batch of plants i started in those seed starting trays, you know a bunch of 1"x1"x3"deep cells arranged in a grid? well i hated all the transplanting too, and i lost a bunch, and it was a huge hassle; so now ive just started starting them in 6" wide x 24" long window boxes, four plants per window box; you can let them get very large in the box and when you are ready to bring them outside its a lot easier; just my .02; an alternative would be to start them in 6x6 pots and just harden them off and move them when you are ready, and bury them about 1/3rd the way into the ground so they develop a sound root structure
 
Funny you should bring this up Wiz, i am planning on doing a similar thing in a few weeks. I will be using a 600watt hps light for about 6 seedlings (will be about 7 weeks old then). I will let you know what my results are.
 
to minimise 'legginess' try to get the top of the seedling as close to the light as you can without touching it. that way the little sprouts won't be stretching themselves upwards, reaching for the sky/light. I don't know anything about powerful grow lights so if yours are really strong then you may want to seek someone else's advice, I only use grolux fluoros to get the seedlings started then they go outside.

chiles are one of those plants that will grow roots all the way up to the lower leaves so planting them deeper (or heaping soil/medium) up to the lower leaves will be ok and is a good idea to counter said 'legginess'.
 
One thing I noticed - I started another four tomato plants and these have been under lights since the third day I sowed them. While they have long legs, proportionally they are much shorter than some other ones that sprouted first and didn't go under the lights until Day 2. One of them is in a cell that did not have as much potting soil. It's top leaves are just above the top of the cell so I was able to add soil so that only about 1/4 of an inch of stem is showing. I'll be curious to see how it grows.

Mike
 
chilliman64 said:
to minimise 'legginess' try to get the top of the seedling as close to the light as you can without touching it. that way the little sprouts won't be stretching themselves upwards, reaching for the sky/light. I don't know anything about powerful grow lights so if yours are really strong then you may want to seek someone else's advice, I only use grolux fluoros to get the seedlings started then they go outside.

chiles are one of those plants that will grow roots all the way up to the lower leaves so planting them deeper (or heaping soil/medium) up to the lower leaves will be ok and is a good idea to counter said 'legginess'.
Click to expand...

I found moving the lights closer prevented the "legginess" as well.... the stalks became much thicker and stronger and gradually I moved the lights up and they grew fine
 
It's the initial legginess - the growth in the stalk the first 3-4 days I'm trying to ameliorate.
leggytom.jpg


These plants sprouted under a light that was about an inch from the top of the planter.

Mike
 
Mike...along with the lights being close you need to "excercise" the stems to make them strong...last year, once a day, I took the palm of my hand and brushed it across the tops of the seedlings...and I also ran a fan on the seedlings pretty hard twice a day for 30 minutes...to me the legginess is not a problem as long as the stems are strengthened to keep them from drooping or falling down....
 
I ran my fan yesterday for a couple of hours (I got busy in my garden and forgot about it!). Last year, with the seedlings in cups, it was easy to add soil so the plants "looked" healthy. That's probably my biggest concern. Those of us who have raised plants from seedlings know that if the rootball is decent size, the plants have been hardened off and the stems are strong - even if long - the plants will survive. But just like people who will pay $3 more to buy a tomato plant in a six-inch container rather one in a six-cell flat, looks are very important to lots of people.

Mike
 
Wahoo!!! I just found two LED panels, each 225 bulbs and 13 watts for $15 each plus shipping. The casing is dented a bit but the lights work fine. One is all blue and one all red. I've got more than 36 Red Delicious to sow,

By the time I finish this trial, if I haven't figured how to produce plants that look great and will sell well, I probably never will.

Mike
 
Mike, when I move my seedling from the cell starter tray I bury all the way to the rounded seed leaf and then place my cups in a sunny windowsill. This helps the plants get the right light and not get leggy. When the plant is established I then move back under my lights till time to move outside. With the amount of plants you are talking about this might not be possible because of lack of windowsill space. But try this with a few of your plants and see if that helps.
 
PR,

I do too but this is a much larger project. I plan on starting 850 plants, mostly to sell. About 700 will stay in their original trays. If the plants were for my own garden, I wouldn't care.

The other thing is that I will have to shell out several bucks for lights - I want the ones that will work best.

One of these colors is much stronger. Take a look at the Fast germinating thread under All Foods. In the first picture I posted, you'll see how the plants are bent. What's baffling me is why - they are completely under the lights, not sitting besode a light where they would stretch to get to it.

Mike
 
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