Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: davidevans on March 21, 2006, 14:25

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: davidevans on March 21, 2006, 14:25

This seems to be happening quite a lot - can anyone help.

I sow seeds in trays in my kitchen, as I cant get get to the plot on a daily basis the seeds grow so fast they become very leggy and thin - how do i slow their growth down? Someone suggested potting them on in pot but covering most of the leggy stem so only and inch protrudes above thew soil - is this ok?

Thanks
Dave

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: Heather_S on March 21, 2006, 19:27

Do you have anywhere lighter you can put your seed trays? I tried growing radishes inside in january and found they got leggy and fell over due to straining for light  :? The burying them when repotting them trick works with some plants, tomatoes for example, but I don't think it works with everything.

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: GrannieAnnie on March 22, 2006, 21:03

You may find the dampness in the soil will rot the little stem you've covered up.  That's happened to me before.  I'm not a very experienced gardener either, and sometimes when I've planted things in the kitchen they get leggy, even though they are on the windowsill which faces south, so I can't give them anymore light than that can I?

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: John on March 22, 2006, 23:07

Always plant tomatoes deep - the little 'hairs' at the base of the stem turn into roots. Also think you can plant brassicas deep.

We often plant too early - not enough daylength. So often better later than early.

Title: seedlings
Post by: noshed on March 22, 2006, 23:38

clocks go forward this weekend - so it must be spring - even though it's freezing.

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: John on March 23, 2006, 09:18

Actually was spring yesterday - the Vernal Equinox where night = day. From now on the days get longer until the Summer Solstice (Yes my wife is an astrologer)

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: twysted1 on March 23, 2006, 13:25

And there's me thinking you were Pagan  :D

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: John on March 23, 2006, 18:01

I used to be but going skyclad on the lotty got me talked about  :wink:

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: twysted1 on March 23, 2006, 18:17

lol sky clad is a term i haven't  heard since i travelled round India.

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: John on March 23, 2006, 18:22

India - now that sounds interesting.  Go on, tell us more.

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: twysted1 on March 23, 2006, 18:44

In India they have a lot of religious guys called Sadhus. these are the guys with dreadlocks and a food bowl and basically go round getting there food and shelter through performing blessings and the like. Well there is a particular flavour of Sadhu who's name translates to sky clad holy man. these guys are more on the dark side of hinduism and they revere Kali who is the goddess of war , death and all stuff dark. these guys obviously wear no clothes and generally cover themselves with the ashes of the dead from funeral pyre sites. i will include a picture but i have edited one of them as i don't think most people will want to see what what one of them is doing to himself, although it was in the name of religion. oh and i'm the one with a bandaged head after an argument with a Ghat in Varanassi.
Sadhu's (http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/8606/sadhus2zx.th.jpg) (http://img116.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sadhus2zx.jpg) Sadhu's

Title: LEGGY SEEDLINGS
Post by: John on March 23, 2006, 19:05

Fascinating - I know the Hindus have a basic trinity, destroyer, maintainer and creator plus a whole lot of minor gods.  But I suspect theology is best discussed outside of 'Grow Your Own' - Although I did have an idea about starting a new religion when I watched some guru in the states with a huge collection of Rolls Royces.