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Flowers
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2015 2:30 pm
- Location: Fort Collins, CO, USA Zone 5b, sometimes 6
Tomato Seedling Stunted?
Hello there, I started this cherry tomato seedling indoors on the 4th of april. It germinated on the 8th and I noticed true leaves developing on the 12th, since then, I have not noticed any growth at all, and the leaves look damaged. (They were stuck in the seed for a while after germinating, and I pulled it off, trying to help, oops). Can I fix it, or should I try to start over?
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lexusnexus
- Green Thumb
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- Location: MD Suburbs of DC, 7a
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
Yes, for such a tiny seedling that is plenty of soil. I would say it looks like it has been staying too wet. Is that a peat type planter? Those do not work for me, because of holding too much moisture. If not does it have good drainage? How have you been watering?
Your average last frost date is next weekend. So this is late to be starting tomato seed. To start the seed indoors, you need to start about 8 wks ahead of the last frost date. And starting them just with window light is difficult. Check out the seed starting basics thread at the top of this section. Really you should have fluorescent light right over its head and heat mat under it.
At this point, I would suggest once you have past the frost date, buy a well started tomato plant from a good nursery (not a big box store, where you run the risk of buying disease along with your mass produced seedling). You can try the seed starting again next year, armed with better understanding of how and when to do it. But you will be pretty disappointed if you nurse this baby along and it finally manages to produce a tomato in Aug, while your tomato season ends at the end of Sept.
Your average last frost date is next weekend. So this is late to be starting tomato seed. To start the seed indoors, you need to start about 8 wks ahead of the last frost date. And starting them just with window light is difficult. Check out the seed starting basics thread at the top of this section. Really you should have fluorescent light right over its head and heat mat under it.
At this point, I would suggest once you have past the frost date, buy a well started tomato plant from a good nursery (not a big box store, where you run the risk of buying disease along with your mass produced seedling). You can try the seed starting again next year, armed with better understanding of how and when to do it. But you will be pretty disappointed if you nurse this baby along and it finally manages to produce a tomato in Aug, while your tomato season ends at the end of Sept.
Last edited by rainbowgardener on Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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applestar
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What kind of potting mix are you using? I'm seeing all kinds of woody bits. This kind of mix can be nitrogen deficient.
Also, did you recently uppot the seedling into this container? If you did, expect the seedling to set down new roots for a week, then take off. It would have been better to bury a tomato seedling like this up to just below the seedleaves.
Also, did you recently uppot the seedling into this container? If you did, expect the seedling to set down new roots for a week, then take off. It would have been better to bury a tomato seedling like this up to just below the seedleaves.
I think it is too wet as well. It looks like your potting soil has a lot of compost in it.
I don't like those types of potting mixes since they hold too much water and will rot the roots.
You may not need to water every day especially if these are inside and there isn't a lot of air circulation or wind drying them out.
I don't like those types of potting mixes since they hold too much water and will rot the roots.
You may not need to water every day especially if these are inside and there isn't a lot of air circulation or wind drying them out.