Butternut Squash & Cucumber seedlings VERY Tall & spindly

[PhilF]

The seedlings are still in small 16 packs. They are also only 12 days old now under 16 hour a day T-5 lights with heating mat. Can I save these seedlings and if so HOW Seedlings are 4-6 inches Tall all with both leaves.Thank you in advance for any help!!!!

[rainbowgardener]

Tall and spindly seedlings is usually not enough light. Your T5s on 16 hrs a day should be enough, but you didn't say how far above the plants the lights are. You want them just a couple inches above the plants, hung so they can be raised as the plants grow. And you need enough of them so that the light covers the growing area. If your plants are tall and spindly AND leaning in towards the lights, you don't have enough.

If the light is sufficient, I would take them off the heat mats. The heat is really only for germinating the seeds. It encourages fast growth, but at this point you really don't want that, you want time for the roots to develop and the plants to get stocky.

The other question would be fertilizing. How are you fertilizing them? Too much fertilizer, especially high Nitrogen can push little seedlings too hard.

They should still be savable. Get them out of the little packs in to pots with more soil. You didn't say where you are located. Once they get just a little better developed, most parts of the US the temps are or soon will be good enough that you could start bringing them outside to harden up. They will do better outside. If for some reason these don't work out for you, just plant some more seeds directly in the ground, once the soil has warmed up to 70 degrees. Squash and cucumber are very quick growing and don't really need to be started indoors.

[evtubbergh]

+1 Too little light and too much nitrogen.

Moving air can help strengthen the stems. You can either stroke your seedling or put a mild fan nearby to move the plants a little. Not a gale!

Give less water, warmth, nitrogen. Give more sun, potassium, phosphorus.