Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: dewisfamily on February 21, 2011, 16:45

Title: seedlings
Post by: dewisfamily on February 21, 2011, 16:45
i have planted some tomato seeds and they have got very tall very quickly because i for got to take the lid off the propagator  will this matter ?
Title: Re: seedlings
Post by: shedsue on February 21, 2011, 16:55
Think they will be leggy and a little weak..pop them somewhere cooler...not cold and see...you can always pop a couple more seeds in...I had leggy plants last year but got toms off them :D
Title: Re: seedlings
Post by: DD. on February 21, 2011, 17:08
Get them onto a well lit window sill, with some aluminium foil behind them to reflect the light, also considering potting them up into something deeper and bury most of the stem.

I'd also re-sow to cover all bases, seeds not expensive and there's plenty of time yet.
Title: Re: seedlings
Post by: muckshifter on February 21, 2011, 18:22
When you come to planting out time put them in deep enough so the surrounding soil comes up the stem nearly to the first leaves,the stem will grow small  roots making better plants of them and take away some of that leggy look.
Title: Re: seedlings
Post by: DD. on February 21, 2011, 18:25
Did I not say that in the previous post?
Title: Re: seedlings
Post by: Kristen on February 21, 2011, 19:27
Did I not say that in the previous post?
Yes, you did! But I disagree :D I would bury them up to the seed leaves, not just part of the stem. :)

I am a little timid burying Cucumbers and their cousins up to the seed leaves, when pricking out, although I think even for those varieties, which hate having their stems wet, it does not harm, but everything else I can think of I would have no hesitation pricking-out right up to the seed leaves.

And with Tomatoes, and most probably Brassicas too, I would not hesitate to plant them even deeper if the circumstances needed it.

But, for the avoidance of doubt, it is important NOT to deep-plant things unless you know its OK for that type of plant. Its the most common cause of death for hedging plants and trees when they are planted deeper than the "soil line" that they were planted to before being planted-out
Title: Re: seedlings
Post by: Aunt Sally on February 21, 2011, 19:59
Did I not say that in the previous post?
Yes, you did! But I disagree :D I would bury them up to the seed leaves, not just part of the stem. :)

When I've had leggy tomato plants in the past I've potted them on up to the true leaves.  When I plant them out I bury them even deeper.  I've even had to remove a couple of lower leaves to make the "stockier" and plant them deeper.  They produce roots from their stems.

It doesn't happen now as I hold off sowing until the light levels are better.