TOO thin and leggy

mensplace · February 19, 2010

My plants are now coming in too thin and leggy ...not the stout, thicker main stems that should be deep green. Possible solutions? In the Florida room where they are growing they get their light through windows facing west and north on two sides, but it is not the preferred direct light they would get straight down by being outside. Too, the southern days are a bit shorter ..starting about 7:30 and going till about 6 pm. In transplanting from seedling to cups, I am burying that long stem almost to the bottom of the cup do to the length of the main stem. But, those that have already been in the cups and need to go to larger/deeper cups still have another four or five inches of stem above the cup. NOT good. Probably started too early. Might there be a fertilizer solution, because they simply are not getting that lush, stout, DARK green that I would like to see? They surely don't need more hight or stem! What might I do with those that are not so far along to give my plants the more robust look and greater strength? They are far too pale in color. I certainly don't need to speed their growth, but would like to somehow thicken those stems and develop the deep green color and larger leaf surface. Oh Doctor, what can I do for my children..he says in a concerned parent mode!

darwinslair · February 19, 2010

Put them somewhere cooler and use artificial light. Say, 50 degrees.

Works for me.

Tom

ssi912 · February 19, 2010

i second darwinslair, i grow my 65-68 at night, and 68-75 in the day. everything is going great. i started using dyna gro fertilizer this year. seems to be working great. i feed them every other watering. try setting them outside in the shade for a few hours a day, for a few days, as long as it is above 45 degrees. it will shock them a tad a make them stout. i have to do this to my peppers some years. works for me. hope you figure it out.

dustdevil · February 19, 2010

Be sure to bury them to just below the first true leaves when you repot. There are commercial fertilizers that are geared toward tomatoes and Miracle-Gro works OK too. They get leggy and often pale when they reach to find light. Grow lights are a great solution, but you might be able eek it out and move your plants from one window to another as the day progresses to give them the best light possible out in your sun room. it would seem you should be able to start hardening them off soon.

dustdevil · February 19, 2010

PS: In regard to legginess, it has been colder and more cloudy than normal in your neck of the woods according to this post: http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...324#post157324

Blueaussi · February 19, 2010

They're leggy because they're not getting enough light. They cannot get enough light from a north/west facing window, you're going to have to add artificial light. A cheap shop light from a big box store propped up on some bricks is an inexpensive way to go, but you need more light.

In the meantime, gently shake your tomato plants a couple of times a day, or put a fan on them. I had a botany professor who used to title his introductory lecture on plant hormones as "Shake your tomato plants", because shaking them simulated growing in a windy environment and would make the plants produce thicker stalks.

mensplace · February 19, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustdevil

PS: In regard to legginess, it has been colder and more cloudy than normal in your neck of the woods according to this post: http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...324#post157324

At least ten degrees colder day and night for the past month! However, yesterday, I saw robins and the temps are headed back to the norms. I had, until last week when I added a second heater, had to work to keep the temp above 40 at night. Since adding the additional header the plants have shot up. Might a special fertilizer with more nitrogen or trace lements help. I used standard miracle gro for one watering. There seems such a wide variance in the tomato fertilizers, that I'm not sure which formulation is best, but don't want to add more nitrogen if that will only make them taller. They are a very pale green though and far too leggy. NOT a fertilizer expert, but thought nitrogen is the primary one for vegetation and green color. Don't want to end up with weak, spindly, pale plants, but too many to move in and out daily...not to mention it would kill my back and hips.

mensplace · February 19, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueaussi

They're leggy because they're not getting enough light. They cannot get enough light from a north/west facing window, you're going to have to add artificial light. A cheap shop light from a big box store propped up on some bricks is an inexpensive way to go, but you need more light.

In the meantime, gently shake your tomato plants a couple of times a day, or put a fan on them. I had a botany professor who used to title his introductory lecture on plant hormones as "Shake your tomato plants", because shaking them simulated growing in a windy environment and would make the plants produce thicker stalks.

They are getting sun (noticed this morning) from 7:30 till nightfall. Most are right next to the large plate glass (two walls of 5X4 storm windows), but it is coming in sideways..not from the very top as in overhead sun. Have two seven foot long wall mounted wire shelves full of plants, and two long tables covered with plants, so would imagine covering them all with overhead lights would cost a fortune. They do have a fan circulating the air...thanks to prior recommendations. In a few weeks I can put them outside as the nominal frost free date is march 27, but the safe one is April 15. Maybe tunnels with covering after the nights average well above freezing.

Blueaussi · February 19, 2010

It's difficult to get enough light from a south facing window. If they're only getting light from west/north windows and they're leggy, the problem is not the angle or the hours, but the intensity of the light they're getting.

b54red · February 19, 2010

You probably don't want to add too much nitrogen cause it will only worsen the problem. The weather should be warm enough today for you to set them outside for almost the whole day. It looks like the weather will be favorable for doing this for at least the next week. Make sure to take them in at night. A few days of gradually increasing sun should solve most of the legginess and green them up for you.
I have already started sunning my peppers but my tomatoes are just coming up due to the cold temps in my small greenhouse the past few weeks. Hopefully I can get mine outside for a few hours soon so they don't get too leggy.

dustdevil · February 19, 2010

Here is a link to an article addressing legginess, fertilizer, and some of the ideas from above:http://gardenguide.montana.edu/article.asp?id=267

mensplace · February 19, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustdevil

Here is a link to an article addressing legginess, fertilizer, and some of the ideas from above:http://gardenguide.montana.edu/article.asp?id=267

A great resource and plenty of good ideas and information. Thanks to ALL!

mtbigfish · February 19, 2010

Like Blue said intensity of shop light close 2" above the plants and run your hands over the tops to strengthen them - no fertilizers now - at most I do 1 kelp fish emulsion diluted but most good seed mixes have micro and macro nutirents enough at least till repot up - I fertilize then at transplant time
Dennis

February 19, 2010	#1
mensplace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,013	TOO thin and leggy My plants are now coming in too thin and leggy ...not the stout, thicker main stems that should be deep green. Possible solutions? In the Florida room where they are growing they get their light through windows facing west and north on two sides, but it is not the preferred direct light they would get straight down by being outside. Too, the southern days are a bit shorter ..starting about 7:30 and going till about 6 pm. In transplanting from seedling to cups, I am burying that long stem almost to the bottom of the cup do to the length of the main stem. But, those that have already been in the cups and need to go to larger/deeper cups still have another four or five inches of stem above the cup. NOT good. Probably started too early. Might there be a fertilizer solution, because they simply are not getting that lush, stout, DARK green that I would like to see? They surely don't need more hight or stem! What might I do with those that are not so far along to give my plants the more robust look and greater strength? They are far too pale in color. I certainly don't need to speed their growth, but would like to somehow thicken those stems and develop the deep green color and larger leaf surface. Oh Doctor, what can I do for my children..he says in a concerned parent mode!

February 19, 2010	#2
darwinslair Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lake Minnetonka MN Posts: 229	Put them somewhere cooler and use artificial light. Say, 50 degrees. Works for me. Tom

February 19, 2010	#3
ssi912 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: St. Simons Island, Ga. Posts: 83	i second darwinslair, i grow my 65-68 at night, and 68-75 in the day. everything is going great. i started using dyna gro fertilizer this year. seems to be working great. i feed them every other watering. try setting them outside in the shade for a few hours a day, for a few days, as long as it is above 45 degrees. it will shock them a tad a make them stout. i have to do this to my peppers some years. works for me. hope you figure it out.

February 19, 2010	#4
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	Be sure to bury them to just below the first true leaves when you repot. There are commercial fertilizers that are geared toward tomatoes and Miracle-Gro works OK too. They get leggy and often pale when they reach to find light. Grow lights are a great solution, but you might be able eek it out and move your plants from one window to another as the day progresses to give them the best light possible out in your sun room. it would seem you should be able to start hardening them off soon.

February 19, 2010	#6
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	They're leggy because they're not getting enough light. They cannot get enough light from a north/west facing window, you're going to have to add artificial light. A cheap shop light from a big box store propped up on some bricks is an inexpensive way to go, but you need more light. In the meantime, gently shake your tomato plants a couple of times a day, or put a fan on them. I had a botany professor who used to title his introductory lecture on plant hormones as "Shake your tomato plants", because shaking them simulated growing in a windy environment and would make the plants produce thicker stalks.

February 19, 2010	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	You probably don't want to add too much nitrogen cause it will only worsen the problem. The weather should be warm enough today for you to set them outside for almost the whole day. It looks like the weather will be favorable for doing this for at least the next week. Make sure to take them in at night. A few days of gradually increasing sun should solve most of the legginess and green them up for you. I have already started sunning my peppers but my tomatoes are just coming up due to the cold temps in my small greenhouse the past few weeks. Hopefully I can get mine outside for a few hours soon so they don't get too leggy.

February 19, 2010	#13
mtbigfish Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chillicothe Ohio - left Calif July 2010 Posts: 451	Like Blue said intensity of shop light close 2" above the plants and run your hands over the tops to strengthen them - no fertilizers now - at most I do 1 kelp fish emulsion diluted but most good seed mixes have micro and macro nutirents enough at least till repot up - I fertilize then at transplant time Dennis