Help! My seedlings fell down, and can't get up!

[Lunacy]

This is my first attempt at Gardening I started most of my seeds in those little green house trays that come with the little started soil pods that expand when you wet them.

Most of my seedlings came up, BUT the onions, cabbage and broccoli seedlings grow tall and skinny and then just fall over! should I plant them in the ground before this happens? Or am I making some other kind of mistake?

[RuHappy69]

I don't know either. Depends on the plant. I have the same issue with my cucumbers that I planted. what I did was just take a bit more dirt and pushed it down around the base (like a mailbox hahaha). It seems to work but I just did it tonight so I'm not sure. Experts weigh in any time.

[Lunacy]

Thanks fo the post Ruhappy and welcome. I wish the experts would give me some advice! People have clicked on the thread but so far yours is the only reply.

I'm starting to think over-watering is my problem. As a first time gardener I think I had the need to "do something" when nothing was needed.

[GardenJester]

I'm no expert, but if you say you didn't remove the dome after the seeds germinated, I will go bang my head on a wall.

[rainbowgardener]

Two things: the growing tall and skinny (we say "leggy") is not enough light. Most seedlings don't really do very well on a window sill; they need lots of direct light, like fluorescent tubes just a few inches above them.

Falling over is most likely damping off. It's what GJ was referring to with the greenhouse domes. Damping off is a fungal condition that little seedlings are very vulnerable to, especially under conditions of high humidity and moisture and low air circulation -- which is exactly what happens with those greenhouse covers! They are meant ONLY for germinating the seeds. As soon as the first seeds sprout, you should remove the covers. (Or just don't use them in the first place, the seeds sprout just fine without them.)

If the baby seedlings are lying flat on the soil, they are goners. Only thing to do is start over having learned some good lessons, so that you can do it better the next time.

[Lunacy]

Yeah basically I made every mistake you guys mentioned up there. I thought I was helping the seeds that didn't germinate buy leaving that plastic dome on a few more days. And the over watering didn't help. Thank you guys for the incite, I will do better with my next batch of seedlings.

[GardenJester]

I hope you are happy.

Really, they should put a bold warning on top of those domes "remove dome after germination, or seedlings will DIE.