[Becci W]

How do I stop my seedlings from getting leggy??? I have them growing on a window sill and have made a gardeners world style reflecter out of cardboard and foil to give them equal light.

Having a few problems with my winter red cabbage seedlings at the moment.

Also any tips on butternut squash, mine got to a good size but died when I planted them out

[barney rubble]

Did you harden them off Becci ? They need gradual introduction to the outside if they are raised indoors be it windowsill or greenhouse. A few daytime hours then bring them back in at night over a couple of weeks and adjust as the weather gets warmer

[Becci W]

Yep, I put them in a cold frame for a week before I planted them. Do you think this might not have been enough?

[barney rubble]

maybe, but think others can probably advise better on this one - I'm all outdoor, so they are automatically hardened to outdoor conditions. See what everybody else comes up with- hope your cabbage come thro Ok

[Yorkie]

All my seeds get leggy if on windowsills, despite the foil.

I think it will also be far too warm for your red cabbage - they're outdoor plants, acclimatise them to outdoors over the next few days and then leave them out there (protect from slugs  )

[Becci W]

ooh ok thanks, will get them down the plot! I think I might be a bit too soft with my little seedlings!!!

[DD.]

My brassicas get no more warmth than a cold greenhouse - and then not for long!

So - gardener's world have nicked my foil idea then!

[Becci W]

Thanks, yep Alys did the foil thing quite a few weeks ago! Planning on making a potting station like the one she has too, bit of MDF and some off cuts of vinyl to save losing the compost........and it looks pretty!

[DD.]

I posted about it on this forum 2 years & 4 months ago!

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=2749.msg29171#msg29171

Pleased they've caught up. Been doing it for years.