[leeky]

Hi all. Have I made a mess of it already?   :roll:

Do they look a bit too close to each other? thanks!

[leeky]

oops. this might be in the wrong forum area. sorry mods  :shock:

[DD.]

No - but they're looking very weak & leggy. They should have bigger leaves & shorter stems. Is that a radiator they are on top of? How much light are they getting?

[ziggywigs]

Try repotting them so that the leaves are just above the compost that will encourage more root growth and sturdier plants. They need some depth to start producing those roots.  Distance looks ok for now though.

Keep them away from artificial heat as this will make them leggy, also make sure they have adequate light.

All is not lost just try to keep them growing steady.

[Trillium]

For start up, the spacing is okay, excactly how I do mine, but you'll need to watch out for drafts, too much bottom heat and make sure they start getting as much light as possible. After the first set of true leaves appear, the next main set, you'll want to start moving them into cell paks or small individual pots or however you'll move them on so roots can thrive. I personally like cell paks in mini greenhouses so that they stay moist and draft free, and pets don't graze on them (even if they do stink) or nap on them.  

[leeky]

thanks for the replies.  

Move away from the radiator.  

About repotting deeper. Could I just pile some compost up around the stems there? In effect 'planting deeper'

Thanks for putting up with my Q's. I'm completely green!

[yummy]

Mine look like that too. They popped up yesterday and have spent day on windowsil with foil behind em (as was advised with tomatoes).

Do they need potting already then?

[muntjac]

leave em be for another couple week then prick them out into 2 inch pots  water and just let em get on with it .i grow a load for my own use and also for garden gate sales and i sell them in seed trays what i cut into strips and they go on with no problem , tuff litle blighters is marigolds

[yummy]

Excellent news! I'm too busy to do them this week and I'm running out of space too. (need to make greenhouse/shed decisions)

[Trillium]

Agree with Munty on leaving them for the time being. As for just mounding up more soil, whatever, around the stems, don't. All plants have their 'soil level' which they set themselves, and don't like growing any deeper than where they start out. Only exceptions are tomatoes, which will root all along the stem, even to the top if you let them, and hilling up growing leeks, white asparagus and celery to blanch the stems from light. Extremely particular for staying at their own soil level are strawberries: plant a bit deeper and crowns rot, plant dies; plant a bit higher and roots dry out, plant dies.  Most plants aren't quite this fussy, thankfully, but you'll lose some trying to alter what nature took eons to set up.  

[WG.]

Agree with Munty on leaving them for the time being. As for just mounding up more soil, whatever, around the stems, don't. All plants have their 'soil level' which they set themselves, and don't like growing any deeper than where they start out. Only exceptions are tomatoes, which will root all along the stem, even to the top if you let them, and hilling up growing leeks, white asparagus and celery to blanch the stems from light. Extremely particular for staying at their own soil level are strawberries: plant a bit deeper and crowns rot, plant dies; plant a bit higher and roots dry out, plant dies.  Most plants aren't quite this fussy, thankfully, but you'll lose some trying to alter what nature took eons to set up.  

Agreed.  You can add potatoes (related to tomato) and Jerusalem Artichokes to the list of exceptions.

[leeky]

great stuff. thanks all.