How to fix lanky seedlings...

[oldschoolvdub]

I have some romain lettuce seedlings that are drooping over really bad. I've even had them under the flourecent light for the last week and they are still doing it. Everything else looks good. Any thoughts?

[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3474968898_603a1febb6.jpg[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

the ones that are lying over flat are beyond saving. They are victims of damping off, a fungus. If you pull one, you will find it has no roots left at all. The fungus attacks the roots. Throw them away and work on saving what's so far unaffected. Damping off occurs when the soil and roots stay too moist and there's not enough air circulation. Your seedlings are very crowded together in peat pots. I don't know why peat pots are so popular, they are seedling killers, because they hold moisture in. Little plastic pots or even dixie cups with holes in the bottom are a lot better. So pull the unaffected seedlings from the peat pots. If they have a decent root system replant them in a dixie cup, half as many to a tray, so there's room for air to circulate around them and leave the fluorescent lights on 16 hrs a day. Bottom water only, only when they have started to dry out a little. That should save any that still have decent root systems.

[oldschoolvdub]

Awesome, thank you for the quick reply. I pulled the ones out that are laying flat. Now onto the new ones... I have some soil that I could put them in but I'm never sure what the best soil to use for seedlings are. And when I should put them outside. I also never realized lettuce looked so weird when it starts out.

[Timlin]

I know nothing about 'planting out time' in California but I use what is called 'Pro Mix' for my seedlings. I also use this same light mix for my containers and I save the container soil over the winter, rotate it to different plants each year and reuse it.

I would think in California you could have your seedlings outside during the day by now? If it's up to 50 or above your seedlings will get strong with the sun and wind on them. (going slowly so they are protected in shade for the first wee bit and moved into the sun gradually over a few days)

I'm in a zone 2........still freezing at nights here and only up to 50ish in the daytimes. so only a few of my seedlings are outside all day yet and pulled in at night. Soon now (within a week or so) I will put out my lettuce, onions, plant my peas and those hardy things that can take a bit of frost. I'm waiting for the soil to dry up more than the temperatures to warm at the moment.

Lettuce is tough, it can take cool temps in fact it prefers cool temps.

[BrianSkilton]

If they are lanky take them and re-pot them up to there seed leaves, as time goes on they will develop roots of their stem that was buried...always works for me. Get them some more light also if possible...

[oldschoolvdub]

Brian, that is a great idea... I never thought of that. I always re-pot but that never seems to help because they are so long. I will try that today... And Timlin, I'm going to try the promix. I get this soil that I use for free, but it just doesn't seem to be that good. Thanks you guys...

[oldschoolvdub]

so I re-potted those lanky looking cabbage plants, and I got to thinking. What If I started my plants in a fish tank using the light on top. It would keep the warm in, and it would be better than the way I've been putting the light over it right now. And I would probably feel better about leaving that light on for longer periods of time. The light I use now is from the 70's.... What do you guys think?

[cynthia_h]

Do these plants need to be grown in containers? If so, potting them "up" into larger pots would be the way to go. Given the weather in central coast California, I'd also wonder why they aren't in the ground or at least outside in regular sun in late April.

Is there some restriction or condition re. your lot that affects this decision?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[somegeek]

A grow light would do wonders. 16 hours a day - as close to the seedlings as possible without burning them. I'm running (6) 26w 6500k CFLs over mine and the results are evident when compared to my results from last year.

You can pick up clamp light at a hardware store and put a large CFL in there or even get the larger clamp lights where you could use a few CFLs with a bulb socket splitter.

[img]https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B88PBW38L._SL500_AA280_.jpg[/img]

[img]https://www.ozonelite.com/store/images/products/product_12.jpg[/img]

Last year we had seed planted in potting soil on our window sill and ended up with leggy seedlings. Most of them dampened off. We've had great success with coconut coir and a grow lamp.

[img]https://somegeek.home.comcast.net/~somegeek/somegeek_seedling_22.jpg[/img]

I've been somewhat logging my efforts [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13054]here[/url] if interested.

Good luck.

somegeek

[rainbowgardener]

The bad news here is that lettuce is a cool weather crop that bolts (goes to seed) very rapidly in hot weather. By the time these seedlings are big enough to plant out, it's going to be too hot for them. You can try babying them along with a lot of water and shade cloth to protect them from the sun. But you may want to try again late in your season for a fall/winter crop. I imagine in California, you might be able to grow lettuce straight through the winter, if you don't have freezes where you are. It will do better then than in the summer.

[jal_ut]

Seedlings get lanky because they do not get enough light. Most garden crops are best seeded directly in the garden where they will grow. It is a lesson in futility to start lots of common garden crops in pots. They get leggy, then the trans plant shock about kills them and by the time they get their breath, seed started directly in the garden will be way ahead. A few exceptions are peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. Even these need grow lights to do well.

Here is how to grow lettuce. Best to start very early in the spring. Plant directly in the garden. Plant 4 seeds in a spot each foot in a row. When the seedlings are about an inch tall thin so you have one plant every foot in the row. Now these plants with room to grow will produce a nice large head. Your lettuce will have good body and flavor.

Lettuce that is started from seed in the garden can also be transplanted to a row with plants a foot apart. Transplanting sets it back a bit, but in the end is a good thing because it spreads out the harvest.

[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/lettuce3.jpg[/img]

This is a head of Black Seeded Simpson lettuce. Yes, this is one plant.

What I just said about planting lettuce goes for cabbage and broccoli too.