2nd Try at Starting From Seed

[mike5953]

I’ve been a member for a good while now, but this is my first post. So here it goes…

This is the second time I’ve ever tried starting my tomato plants from seed.
The first year was pretty much a disaster. I ended up with very leggy and fragile plants.
So this year I broke down and bought some wide spectrum CFBs and some extra clamp-on shop lamps that I positioned over the trays.
It seemed to work pretty good for a while, but I still ended up with leggy plants! And they’re a bit on the delicate side too.
I also made the mistake of potting up the seedlings outside in direct sunlight on a very warm and windy day. The seedlings had never been in direct sun, so some of them got a bit toasted!
Because of the toasted seedling incident, I came up one plant short. So I ventured down to the farmer’s market today to buy a plant or two from nctomatoman. When I got home, my wife greeted me at the door with something to the effect of “Why don’t your plants look like his?”
Ok, so now with that hanging over my head, I’ve got to figure out a way to get a better start next year.

I’m pretty sure that my mistakes are:
1) I started the plants too early (Feb. 15th) for when I ended up transplanting (Apr. 30th).
2) I should have potted up the seedlings in a sheltered area that day.
3) I should have gotten the plants outside ASAP instead of leaving them under the lights.
4) I shouldn’t have let my wife get a look at the plants I bought today!

What do you folks think?

[pooklette]

You're not alone. Until this year, I always had leggy, spindly plants too.

Here's what I've found after a lot of trial and error...your mileage may vary...

Originally Posted by mike5953

1) I started the plants too early (Feb. 15th) for when I ended up transplanting (Apr. 30th).

I seem to have better luck when my transplants are about six weeks old. The longer they're babied inside in my house, the more ornery they seem to get when transplanted.

2) I should have transplanted in a sheltered area that day.
3) I should have gotten the plants outside ASAP instead of leaving them under the lights.

I read somewhere that it's best to transplant on an overcast day or in the evening. My plants seem to confirm this...they behave better when I don't plant out on a blazing hot, sunny day.

Also, did you harden off before planting out? (I.e. gradually expose the plants to the outdoors before transplant.) This is a very important step. They get spoiled inside and need a period to 'learn' how to survive outside before they're planted out.

4) I shouldn’t have let my wife get a look at the plants I bought today!

Love this!

Here is exactly what I did this year to end my leggy, wimpy plant problem:

1. Set my newly sprouted plants about 2" below a pair of fluorescent lights. No matter how big they got, I made sure the plant tops were no more than 2" from those bulbs.
2. I had many trays of plants, so I rotated them, giving each tray about 8-10 hrs of light per day.
3. Gently brushed the tops of my plants once or twice a day to beef up the stems. (I learned that trick here.)

I basically cobbled together many of the suggestions I've read here and it seemed to work well. My plants look so much healthier this year.

[veggie babe]

Mike 5953, I like you since of humor. This is my first year to start with seed and it has been a learning experience. Next year I will know a lot more, TV members get most of the credit for the success I achieve.

good luck,

Neva

[amideutch]

Welcome longtime lurker. I start my plants on 15 March and that may be to early. On your grow lights 5500k to 6400k are the ideal range but cool white at 4400k will work. As you are only growing your seedlings in preparation to set outdoors you don't need lights in the red spectrum 2500k which are more for flowering and fruiting.
After the seedlings get their first true leaves cut your night time temps to around 60deg.. Once they get up to 4" to 6" put them in a sunny window turning them once a day so they get even lighting. You can also give them periodically a diluted feed solution as a drench or foliar spray as well. I used "Sea-Plus" which is a 3-2-2 fish-seaweed fertilizer from Johnny's.
As you have found out you have the perfect backup, Craig. Ami

[mike5953]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes and for the helpful comments.

pooklette: I do need to get the plants closer to the light. And I saw someone in another post mention rubbing the plants to toughen them up. I'll give that a try too.

Ami: The CFBs I bought are 42 watt 5100Ks. But I'm thinking that I may have done better to either buy a couple more or buy the long tube lights to have better coverage. And yes, Craig had a great selection of interesting plants to choose from.

[lumierefrere]

Cheap help-- Anything reflective on the top bottom and sides of the seedlings. I draped a $1.25 mylar emergency blanket over the shop lights and it made a HUGE amt of difference. I cut off the extra and put it underneath.

[mike5953]

Thanks lumierefrere.
I think that I may have one of those stashed away in a glovebox.

[garnetmoth]

welcome!

This is my best year for starting from seed so far, I used 3 inch pots, I usually worry cells to death (and get fungus gnats from keeping things too wet)

I also used a fan sometimes to toughen them up, and used a dollar-store mylar coated car sun-block on one side to reflect more light back.

Ive got 4 trays, 2 in the window (rotated when they start to lean) and 2 under the flouros from the orange box store

Good luck with them all!

[mike5953]

Thanks garnetmoth.
I ran inexplicably short of small nursery pots this year. I usually manage to have a stash of several dozen hanging around. So I picked up some 4" square and 6" round peat pots instead.
The 4 inchers were ok, but the round ones were a pain.
I think that I'll find an alternative to both next year though.

[OmahaJB]

Either 3 or 4 years ago, I was using CFL's in brooder lamps as side-lighting for a couple of mature tomato plants I was growing. I had two 4' shoplights over the plants while using the CFL's for supplemental lighting.

I happened to also be starting seeds to later send to a couple of family members. That year my seedlings grew thicker and stronger than they did before or have since. At the time I didn't know if that was the main reason or if it was because they grew under the lights for 8 weeks before I could mail them for proper planting time. During the followimg years I've noticed my seedlings have not been as thick and strong, and I've come to the conclusion that the side-lighting has been the main difference maker. I haven't been using it since then while growing seedlings, but will be doing so from now on since I don't have a greenhouse.

As someone suggested, Mylar would also be excellent to use.

I've never had leggy seedlings, as long as I've kept them almost touching the lighting. They even touch it sometimes with no problems. This year I've been sloppy in that I haven't worried as much about having the seedlings a hair's width from the lighting. Some of them are a little leggier this year, but are doing fine.

[Amigatec]

This is the Growstand I bought last year. It has 5 4' T12 6500K florus in it. This year I added the mylar and the "control panel" to it.

[mike5953]

Thanks guys.

Amigatec: That's a nice looking setup. How deep are the growstand shelves? I'm guessing 18".

[Amigatec]

I think they are 36" deep I can hang 3 shop lights without any problem. I also use seed starting heat mats as well, I have a small one and a med sized, this year I bought a thermostat for the heat mat. I use the 3rd shelf to start my seeds and then move them up under the lights.

[Amigatec]

For the winter time I use this light, in the Hydroroom.

[newatthiskat]

I guess I do it all wrong. I do not have grow lights I just have windows and a garage. I do live in texas so I am doing one thing right. I just put plants out in the cold hard world as soon as I think they can stand it. I bring them in when I think they can't. It is more difficult when they are potted up. Lots more to bring in
Kat