Leggy seedlings - should I change them?

Salaam · June 11, 2013

Hello all,

Our second year growing, and this year we started our seedlings at a new location. Apart form being a bit leggy, they were doing quite well until a week or two before planting. Then leaves started turning brown and the seedlings overall started looking a bit sickly.

We speculate that it was because I introduced a fan at that time, and because I had exposed them to too much time under the grow lights (over 18 hours daily) from the beginning. I don't know if that makes sense.

Most of them were at least two feet tall when we planted them. We planted them up six inches or more deep, and though some are stronger than others and have flowered and even borne fruit, most haven't seemed to have improved much since planting. The rainy weather hasn't helped either. I'm wondering if we should cut our losses and replace them with bought seedlings, of which there are still some around in our area.

I've attached some pictures.

Thanks!

TightenUp · June 11, 2013

your plants look a little stressed and leggy for sure. the parts of the stems that were planted deep will grow roots. i also suspect the plants are putting their efforts into strengthening their stems. if the plants are putting their efforts into root development and stronger stems it no surprise they are growing much right now, especially with crappy weather

i would keep what you have unless they appear sick. its hard to tell from the photos

habitat_gardener · June 11, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salaam

...We planted them up six inches or more deep, and though some are stronger than others and have flowered and even borne fruit, most haven't seemed to have improved much since planting. ...

Did they have flowers on when you planted them? If so, then they put their energy into producing fruit and won't do much more. I'd replace those.

I pinch any flowers when I plant so that the plant will put energy into developing roots.

Redbaron · June 11, 2013

They look fine. Not perfect but acceptable.

ScottinAtlanta · June 11, 2013

I bet they will take off at some point. I would not execute them.

beeman · June 11, 2013

Might i suggest you stake them. I have found that leggy plants not staked suffer from root movement due to wind. The minute you stake them and tie them up you'll notice an improvement in the quality.
I notice some suckers. If you nip them off it will force more growth upwards.

Urbanfarmer · June 11, 2013

You didn't say what you were feeding them?

"Sickly" in seedlings almost always means they aren't sick.....they're starving.

They're sad looking right now, but if they go into well-drained, uncompacted soil and you give them immediate shots of good food, they'll come around. Stressed plants like those don't have the time or energy to put out the roots necessary to find food early on, yet they need food more than anything.

I don't see where putting in store-bought transplants improves anything. They'll want food too, and if they don't get it, they'll quickly decline as well.

clkeiper · June 11, 2013

I think they look fine, maybe a little stressed from going to the garden, but not bad enough to pull them out and start over. planting them deep is good. they are developing roots instead of leaves at this point. As soon as they develop enough roots to support more plant growth they will grow.

WVTomatoMan · June 12, 2013

They are leggy, but with proper care they should grow out of it. I know I say that a lot, but it's almost always true.

Good luck.

Randy

Salaam · June 12, 2013

How reassuring you all are!

About what they're being fed... We put some organic Miracle-Gro in the earthtainers when they were first planted on May 26. Since then we've fed them fish emulsion fertilizer once. I'm thinking we might have to do so more often until they get better.

Urbanfarmer · June 12, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salaam

How reassuring you all are!

About what they're being fed... We put some organic Miracle-Gro in the earthtainers when they were first planted on May 26. Since then we've fed them fish emulsion fertilizer once. I'm thinking we might have to do so more often until they get better.

Fish emulsion is high N. That's not the best NPK for tomatoes at any time in their life cycle. The last I checked, MG organic is a generic, chicken manure based fertilizer.....slow release.

Irv Wiseguy · June 12, 2013

What varieties are they? People normally don't put more than 2 plants in an Earthtainer. With 3 plants you may have to fill the reservoir more often once they get bigger and start producing fruit.

Irv

Salaam · June 13, 2013

They're many varieties - I don't have the list now - but a mix of early, late, cherries to larger sizes. The earthtainers are much larger than the reguler earthtainers, so in some we have two and in some three.

We'll add some kelp meal, which I assume is fast releasing.

June 11, 2013	#2
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	your plants look a little stressed and leggy for sure. the parts of the stems that were planted deep will grow roots. i also suspect the plants are putting their efforts into strengthening their stems. if the plants are putting their efforts into root development and stronger stems it no surprise they are growing much right now, especially with crappy weather i would keep what you have unless they appear sick. its hard to tell from the photos __________________

June 11, 2013	#4
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	They look fine. Not perfect but acceptable. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

June 11, 2013	#6
beeman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 692	Might i suggest you stake them. I have found that leggy plants not staked suffer from root movement due to wind. The minute you stake them and tie them up you'll notice an improvement in the quality. I notice some suckers. If you nip them off it will force more growth upwards. Last edited by beeman; June 11, 2013 at 10:10 PM. Reason: Addition.

June 11, 2013	#7
Urbanfarmer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Freeport, Texas Posts: 134	You didn't say what you were feeding them? "Sickly" in seedlings almost always means they aren't sick.....they're starving. They're sad looking right now, but if they go into well-drained, uncompacted soil and you give them immediate shots of good food, they'll come around. Stressed plants like those don't have the time or energy to put out the roots necessary to find food early on, yet they need food more than anything. I don't see where putting in store-bought transplants improves anything. They'll want food too, and if they don't get it, they'll quickly decline as well. __________________ theurbanfarm.com

June 11, 2013	#8
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I think they look fine, maybe a little stressed from going to the garden, but not bad enough to pull them out and start over. planting them deep is good. they are developing roots instead of leaves at this point. As soon as they develop enough roots to support more plant growth they will grow. __________________ carolyn k

June 11, 2013	#5
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	I bet they will take off at some point. I would not execute them.

June 12, 2013	#9
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	They are leggy, but with proper care they should grow out of it. I know I say that a lot, but it's almost always true. Good luck. Randy

June 12, 2013	#10
Salaam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 128	How reassuring you all are! About what they're being fed... We put some organic Miracle-Gro in the earthtainers when they were first planted on May 26. Since then we've fed them fish emulsion fertilizer once. I'm thinking we might have to do so more often until they get better.

June 12, 2013	#12
Irv Wiseguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 281	What varieties are they? People normally don't put more than 2 plants in an Earthtainer. With 3 plants you may have to fill the reservoir more often once they get bigger and start producing fruit. Irv

June 13, 2013	#13
Salaam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 128	They're many varieties - I don't have the list now - but a mix of early, late, cherries to larger sizes. The earthtainers are much larger than the reguler earthtainers, so in some we have two and in some three. We'll add some kelp meal, which I assume is fast releasing.