My seedlings are far too Spindly..

murihikukid · October 11, 2016

Hi...I wonder what the secret is to growing strong seedlings with a thick stem ...after visiting a local gardening centre and seeing the young plants and how strong they looked I must be doing something wrong....My seeds go in a Parasene self watering (by capillary cloth) propagator and once i see the first set of true leaves I transplant into a bigger container....I am using a Peat moss base with Perlite mixed with a seed raising mix and a teaspoon of lime ...I am using CFL lights and this may be the problem...

Any help would be appreciated..Thanks Ron

ginger2778 · October 11, 2016

To put it simply, you guessed at the problem correctly. Spindly means not enough light, they are stretching to try to get some more light.
There are many threads here about good lighting.
Good luck.

amideutch · October 11, 2016

Ron, check out the sticky this forum concerning the Cold Treatment.

Ami

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=13171

Worth1 · October 11, 2016

CFL lights aren't the problem that is too broad a statement.
It is the wattage that it being used and or how far they are from the plants.

Worth

dmforcier · October 11, 2016

Also remember that moving air encourages thick stems. Do you have a fan on your plants?

Patihum · October 11, 2016

While all the above suggestions are great there's something else to be considered when comparing your seedlings to the plants at a garden center - the use of growth hormones - which is something most all of us don't use but the commercial growers do.

Father'sDaughter · October 11, 2016

My personal experience agrees with ALL of the above advice -- the correct wattage of lights kept an inch above the plants, cooler temps, a fan for a few hours a day, and a regular watering and feeding schedule will result in healthy, thick stemmed, bushy plants. No growth hormones needed.

Cole_Robbie · October 12, 2016

Good advice so far in this thread.

I would add, by the time I sell a seedling in a 4" pot, it has been transplanted twice. If it is leggy, I stuff it down into the media when transplanting, burying the excess stem.

maxjohnson · October 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmforcier

Also remember that moving air encourages thick stems. Do you have a fan on your plants?

Hmm, I didn't know that, maybe I should invest in one.

Worth1 · October 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

Hmm, I didn't know that, maybe I should invest in one.

This is also the reason new young trees planted and tied down with guy wires for support have lollipop trunks.
They need to be removed after a year at the very longest depending on the tree and where it came from.
Many times they dont need the support anyway.

Worth

ginger2778 · October 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

Hmm, I didn't know that, maybe I should invest in one.

You definitely should. A fan us very cheap, and the stems get way stronger, plus the circulating air keeps damp rot away. You can't go wrong putting a stream of fan air on your seedlings.

The stem thickening in response to air is called thigmomorphogenesis.

dmforcier · October 14, 2016

Wow! Good word.

Don't be afraid to see those little leaves flutter. Not only can they take it, they like it. Thigmomorphogenephila!

Grandpa1943 · October 14, 2016

Light source should be no more than 2 inches from top of plant. I have my lights on a chain which allows me to adjust the height via bent metal coat hangers.

dmforcier · October 23, 2016

Thigmomorphogenephilia

Geez, can't even spell my own made-up word.

October 11, 2016	#1
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	My seedlings are far too Spindly.. Hi...I wonder what the secret is to growing strong seedlings with a thick stem ...after visiting a local gardening centre and seeing the young plants and how strong they looked I must be doing something wrong....My seeds go in a Parasene self watering (by capillary cloth) propagator and once i see the first set of true leaves I transplant into a bigger container....I am using a Peat moss base with Perlite mixed with a seed raising mix and a teaspoon of lime ...I am using CFL lights and this may be the problem... Any help would be appreciated..Thanks Ron

October 11, 2016	#3
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Ron, check out the sticky this forum concerning the Cold Treatment. Ami http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=13171 __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

October 11, 2016	#5
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	Also remember that moving air encourages thick stems. Do you have a fan on your plants? __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

October 14, 2016	#12
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	Wow! Good word. Don't be afraid to see those little leaves flutter. Not only can they take it, they like it. Thigmomorphogenephila! __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

October 23, 2016	#14
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	Thigmomorphogenephilia Geez, can't even spell my own made-up word. __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

October 11, 2016	#2
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	To put it simply, you guessed at the problem correctly. Spindly means not enough light, they are stretching to try to get some more light. There are many threads here about good lighting. Good luck.

October 11, 2016	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	CFL lights aren't the problem that is too broad a statement. It is the wattage that it being used and or how far they are from the plants. Worth

October 11, 2016	#6
Patihum Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Southeast Kansas Posts: 878	While all the above suggestions are great there's something else to be considered when comparing your seedlings to the plants at a garden center - the use of growth hormones - which is something most all of us don't use but the commercial growers do.

October 11, 2016	#7
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	My personal experience agrees with ALL of the above advice -- the correct wattage of lights kept an inch above the plants, cooler temps, a fan for a few hours a day, and a regular watering and feeding schedule will result in healthy, thick stemmed, bushy plants. No growth hormones needed.

October 12, 2016	#8
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Good advice so far in this thread. I would add, by the time I sell a seedling in a 4" pot, it has been transplanted twice. If it is leggy, I stuff it down into the media when transplanting, burying the excess stem.

October 14, 2016	#13
Grandpa1943 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Agawam, MA Posts: 1	Light source should be no more than 2 inches from top of plant. I have my lights on a chain which allows me to adjust the height via bent metal coat hangers.