I am new at this gardening game and I have a few flowers (violas, johnny jump ups and chamomile that my kids picked out) and some early veggies (cabbage, pepper & lettuce) sprouting. I had them under a dome for about 6 days with a seed heating mat and I just put them under lights yesterday.
These tiny sprouts are very tall with tiny leaves, especially the cabbage. Is this normal? They seem to look nothing like some of the photos on the forum I've seen as squat, leafy robust plants.
Do you have any advice when I start my next round of seeds (tomatoes, basil and echinacea)?
Last year I started seeds and ended up killing everything off prior to getting them in the garden. I figure they were too humid.
Thanks for your input!
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applestar
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As soon as the first seedling peeks out of the soil -- the loopy part of the sprout, remove the dome and put the container under a bright light. Usually fluorescent light tubes positioned no more than 4 inches above the soil level -- I.e. THE TOP OF THE PLANT -- this needs to be adjusted as they plants grow by raising the container or lowering the light. I like using 100W equivalent Daylight tubes or CFLs.
With violas, johnny jump-ups, chamomile, cabbage and lettuce -- all cool weather crops, you can take them off the heat mat after they germinate. Peppers can stay on the mat until true leaves grow out or even longer. Pepper roots seem to really appreciate bottom heat.
I bottom-water as needed but mist them every morning. Some people don't believe this is beneficial. I think it depends on the humidity level in your house. Providing some kind of air movement -- small personal fan or oscillating fan -- can help the seedlings become stronger. Another way to stimulate sturdy cell walls is to give the container a 1/4 turn every day so the seedlings will get even light and compensate for any difference in light intensity.
With violas, johnny jump-ups, chamomile, cabbage and lettuce -- all cool weather crops, you can take them off the heat mat after they germinate. Peppers can stay on the mat until true leaves grow out or even longer. Pepper roots seem to really appreciate bottom heat.
I bottom-water as needed but mist them every morning. Some people don't believe this is beneficial. I think it depends on the humidity level in your house. Providing some kind of air movement -- small personal fan or oscillating fan -- can help the seedlings become stronger. Another way to stimulate sturdy cell walls is to give the container a 1/4 turn every day so the seedlings will get even light and compensate for any difference in light intensity.
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rainbowgardener
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Yup, tall slender seedlings is NOT ENOUGH LIGHT INTENSITY.
Light diffuses by the inverse square law. That is, if I have light 2 inches above my seedlings and I move it twice as far away, to 4 inches, the seedlings are now getting one-quarter the light intensity. If I move it 4 times as far away, to 8 inches, the seedlings are now getting one-sixteenth the light intensity.
So even 4 inches away is a lot. I have four fluorescent tubes crossing my seedling trays just a couple inches above the plants and they are on 16 hours a day.
Otherwise, what Applestar said! All good suggestions. I have everything in trays and only bottom water. I mist house plants, but don't mist little seedlings. But my seedlings are in potting soil with peat which holds more moisture and I have to be very careful about excess humidity.
Light diffuses by the inverse square law. That is, if I have light 2 inches above my seedlings and I move it twice as far away, to 4 inches, the seedlings are now getting one-quarter the light intensity. If I move it 4 times as far away, to 8 inches, the seedlings are now getting one-sixteenth the light intensity.
So even 4 inches away is a lot. I have four fluorescent tubes crossing my seedling trays just a couple inches above the plants and they are on 16 hours a day.
Otherwise, what Applestar said! All good suggestions. I have everything in trays and only bottom water. I mist house plants, but don't mist little seedlings. But my seedlings are in potting soil with peat which holds more moisture and I have to be very careful about excess humidity.
Some of the more robust looking seedlings, like tomatoes, you have to keep in mind are planted deeper every time they are transplanted. So while you may be looking at young plants on here, they may have already been transplanted two or three times. However you can't do this with all plants so don't start doing this to all of your cabbage and everything. I don't think you can do this with anything you have going right now in fact.
I have the same problem with cabbage no matter how close I keep the lights. Maybe I need a higher wattage. Or maybe I should stick to just direct sowing my cabbage.
I have the same problem with cabbage no matter how close I keep the lights. Maybe I need a higher wattage. Or maybe I should stick to just direct sowing my cabbage.
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DoubleDogFarm
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Shouldn't maybe more appropriate, but I do it anyway. -
applestar
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Cabbage, and family can be up potted to the base of seed leaves and then to the base of rosette of leaves. Same with lettuce. Only way I can keep them from toppling over. 
Stabilizing with sandy soil mix helps too. 
I'm pretty sure peppers can be as well.
Last year, when I was growing ornamental sage, I read in several sources that they cannot be planted any deeper -- "will not tolerate being planted deeper" I think is what one source said. But when you think about it, most seedlings must experience some build up of soil/mulch media when grown out in the open -- due to wind, rain, or other natural causes.
Stabilizing with sandy soil mix helps too. I'm pretty sure peppers can be as well.
Last year, when I was growing ornamental sage, I read in several sources that they cannot be planted any deeper -- "will not tolerate being planted deeper" I think is what one source said. But when you think about it, most seedlings must experience some build up of soil/mulch media when grown out in the open -- due to wind, rain, or other natural causes.
I'm with the others in that your lights are not close enough to the plants.
However, I never knew that you could up-pot cabbage seedlings. Since the members here say you can, I would give it a try with a few of them if I were you.
Also, you don't have to up-pot them into new pots. When a few of my tomatoes came up leggy, I just pulled them up and re-planted them deeper in the same cell. Give this a try and let us know if it helps.
However, I never knew that you could up-pot cabbage seedlings. Since the members here say you can, I would give it a try with a few of them if I were you.
Also, you don't have to up-pot them into new pots. When a few of my tomatoes came up leggy, I just pulled them up and re-planted them deeper in the same cell. Give this a try and let us know if it helps.