Starters from seed - foliage light green?

[somegeek]

I'm curious with my starters - the foliage is on the light side of green. I figured they'd be darker. Is this indicative of them lacking certain nutrients? I've just potted the seedlings in a potting soil/perlite mix so far. No added nutrients. I was pondering an organic fertilizer mix w/ some lime/calcium.

Appreciate any input.

somegeek

[Timlin]

I never feed my seedlings until they are a pretty good size. Are they a 'spring' green? Not seeing them makes it hard to comment but if they are getting lots of light and are growing okay I'd hold off on the feed if it were me.

[somegeek]

I'm used to getting darker green starters at the local nursery which is what had me wondering. I'm comparing the plants in the upper corners with the rest. I did water them with some regular strength Miracle Gro tomato mix about a week ago. Wondering if that's nutrient burn or over watering which caused the discoloration in the foliage?

[img]https://somegeek.home.comcast.net/somegeek_seedling_67.jpg[/img]

I've been trying to hold off until the pots get light to water again. Trying not to over water but also wondering at what point these are big enough and I can just water these and not worry about over watering?

Appreciate any input.

somegeek

[elevenplants]

The Miracle Gro might have been a little much for them so young...maybe a dilute mixture? I use liquid fish on mine until they start to blossom, just a couple tablespoons of the mixture on them once a week when they're small like yours, later when they're potted up into 1 or 3 gallon pots, and especially after they're in the ground, at the rate of a cup a week. But only until blossom starts. After that, only about once every 2 or 3 weeks.

You might try foliar feeding, also, instead of watering with your fert. Just put your mixture into a spray bottle and wet them down good, top and bottom of the leaves, in the morning where they'll dry quickly. Do this a couple of times a week. They'll green up.

Rebecca