true leaf ?

[My Foot Smells]

it usually takes about 30 days from seed to first true leaves for me, but I see others here that have a bushy plant with true leaves in a couple of weeks.

my light source might be weak, 4 t5 bulbs over seedling tray.

I do not fert and use sterile seed starting mix. I start to fert when leaves arrive.

I keep the house at 65.

lights stay on from 0600 to 2200, and maybe put outside if the day is nice.

all said, looks like my seedlings have not grown much or any in the past 12 days since sprouting. the codeldons are still there but no stem or top growth (visually measureable).

Maybe there are some "tricks" to speed things along?

[Rajun Gardener]

They need real light, put them outside during the day. I have plants that are 7 days old and this morning I noticed true leaves starting. I started them in the greenhouse so they get sun all day and I'm trying to do the cold treatment but the weather has been so warm it's useless.

[KarenO]

I think they are probably cold. Slow growth at this stage most likely related to temperature.
If they are not stretching, you have enough light and I would strongly urge caution if contemplating putting such tiny seedlings outdoors yet. (And by no means does a greenhouse count as outdoors) If you do, use a very gradual hardening off schedule.

KarenO

[Rajun Gardener]

Originally Posted by KarenO

I think they are probably cold. Slow growth at this stage most likely related to temperature.
KarenO

That's probably part of the problem too.

[BigVanVader]

Yeah I'd say cold, not really a bad thing, unless it is for you. Do you use a heat mat to germinate? Keeping one under them will make them grow faster although they tend to get leggy doing that. I mostly use it with super hot peppers so they don't take 2 months to get true leaves. Ofc ferts can speed things up but not really needed at that stage.

[My Foot Smells]

I do use a heat mat to germinate, but remove once they sprout, as they tend to get leggy with the heat mat.

if I do put them outside for a bit, often not direct sunlight and think we have only had a few days of full sun days here anyways. lots of grey skies this time of year.

I thought 65 was a good temp, not sure what "optimal" temp is though....

[Rajun Gardener]

Put them outside all day, protect them from strong wind and they will respond. Even cloudy days are better than lights, 65 should be fine.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

Put them outside all day, protect them from strong wind and they will respond. Even cloudy days are better than lights, 65 should be fine.

Have had them outside for 2 days (high yest. was 80 (IKR)), and boom, true leaf emerged. Seed was submerged in soilless mix on (J17). So looks like 23 days. The night before last, had serious lightening, thunder and heavy showers (had the babies moved under porch cover). Today high is 72, so they are still outside. The natural morning dew might help some too, as the indoor lights keep things dry.

A "cool" front is moving back into tonight and then, yet, another warm up this weekend. So probably move back inside for a couple days.

I don't know if man can replicate the power of the sun (even on a cloudy day).

[brownrexx]

I think that it's more the cold than the lack of sun causing your delay. tomatoes love heat.

I do not use a heat mat and I don't recall how soon the first true leaves emerge but I think it's in about a week or two after I have sprouts. Certainly never 30 days. My room is at 70 degrees and it gets natural light but the seedlings are under fluorescent lighting full time and don't go outside at all until they are too tall for the light tray.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by brownrexx

I think that it's more the cold than the lack of sun causing your delay. tomatoes love heat.

I do not use a heat mat and I don't recall how soon the first true leaves emerge but I think it's in about a week or two after I have sprouts. Certainly never 30 days. My room is at 70 degrees and it gets natural light but the seedlings are under fluorescent lighting full time and don't go outside at all until they are too tall for the light tray.

took 7 days to sprout, so 16 days for TL to emerge from sprout. 65 could be a little cool. I'm in no foot race here to grow a bean stalk, plenty of time - but trying to get some squatty plants w/ a thick stem. When I apply the heat pad, they do grow quicker/taller but not thicker. Come March when the plants can get outside for the most part, they will grow 3" a day. By time of transplant, I would like to have a rootball the size of a cannon ball.

we shall see.

[brownrexx]

I like to have the growing room a little warmer because it is less likely to favor mold growth.

I also like to have short fat stems so I start my plants later than some people in my area. I start seeds about 4-6 weeks before I can plant them in the ground. This means that I plant my seeds around the middle of March. Some people in my area are already starting seeds and plant seedlings outside with cold protection. I do not see a big benefit in doing this and I do not want my plants getting too big so I force myself to be patient and wait. They will outgrow the lights about 2 weeks before planting time so they spend those 2 weeks on the covered front porch in 4" pots in full sun and it really fattens those stems and makes nice big rootballs.