Seedlings leaves turning yellow

[joediea]

I hope someone can help me with this! I'm new to gardening so this year I started seeds in the basement. They were doing great until a few days ago when the first leaves began to turn yellow. I water them from the bottom and don't water again until the soil dries out completely but the plants are not wilted. I first used a seaweed emulsion in the water but thought maybe they needed more "fertilizer" so mixed fish emulsion(2 tbsp/gallon water) and fed this a few days ago. Am I overwatering, underwatering ? The lights are on about 14 hrs/day.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks

 

[patandchickens]

If by first leaves you mean the 'seed leaves', cotyledons, the first leaflike thingies that expand after sprouting, they are *supposed* to yellow and wither away, so I would not particularly worry as long as the rest of the plant looks healthy

If you mean the first *real* leaves and these are older seedlings, could they be becoming potbound, or salts/minerals from the water building up in the soil (which can happen over time with some water supplies if you always water just from the bottom).

Good luck,

Pat

 

[setter4]

I try to never let my small seedlings dry out. They need to be kept at least damp when they are first starting out. It also sounds like you may be over fertilizing. Most seedlings that are started in a starting mix need NO fertilizer until they are much bigger.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Are the seedlings warm enough in the basement? Most crops would do ok like that, but peppers and other heat lovers might sulk.

What sort of lighting set-up do you have? Are the lights close enough and are they the right general wavelength?

 

[bid]

I would cut back on the fertilizer as well. Tell us more about how big/old these plants are and what they are and the helpful folks here may be able to help you a bit more.

 

[joediea]

Thanks for all the quick responses. These plants are 4 wks old now. The ones that are the worst are the squash type plants but they are also the biggest plants. These do appear to be the cotyldons. I read from the extension office here to let them dry in between watering. Not so? I try to keep the lights around 4 inches away from the plants but the squashes are quite a bit taller than some of the others so if I did that, some would be touching the lights. I've also noticed that in some of the soil appears to be green like algae growing. I don't see how this can happen since I had been letting them dry in between. This can be very confusing!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Greetings from the UK. When my seedlings or indoor plants get yellow leaves I water with EPSON SALTS (dissolved in water). It works most of the time. I didn't know whether you had this produt in the US so I Googled it -- you do !!! I also found a link to a US Forum, here it is: forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/south/msg0423172027231.html - 166k . It is run by I-Village. Epson Salts chemical name is Magnesium Sulphate, something I learnt today!!! Hope this helps. :rose Hattie :rose

 

[patandchickens]

These plants are 4 wks old now. The ones that are the worst are the squash type plants but they are also the biggest plants. These do appear to be the cotyldons.

That sounds like about the right timeframe to be losing the cotyledons. If the plant as a whole looks healthy, I wouldn't worry about it

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[DrakeMaiden]

If the soil is growing algae, it may be staying a little on the wet side. When the surface of the soil looks dry, usually it is still somewhat moist below. If you aren't sure, stick your finger in the soil and see how moist it is just below the surface. Probably a better trick is to lift the pots . . . get used to knowing how heavy they are when they are fully watered and how light they can get when they start to need a watering. (You could take this to the extreme if you were daring, and see how light the pots get about the time the leaves start to grow limp -- if the leaves get limp you can just soak them in a dark spot to resuscitate them). Lifting the pots to judge the weight is probably the most reliable and least invasive way to tell when to water. Good luck! It sounds like you are doing just fine.

 

[vfem]

If the soil is growing algae, it may be staying a little on the wet side. When the surface of the soil looks dry, usually it is still somewhat moist below. If you aren't sure, stick your finger in the soil and see how moist it is just below the surface. Probably a better trick is to lift the pots . . . get used to knowing how heavy they are when they are fully watered and how light they can get when they start to need a watering. (You could take this to the extreme if you were daring, and see how light the pots get about the time the leaves start to grow limp -- if the leaves get limp you can just soak them in a dark spot to resuscitate them). Lifting the pots to judge the weight is probably the most reliable and least invasive way to tell when to water. Good luck! It sounds like you are doing just fine.

It may be some of the light green mold I've had grow on mine. Someone mentioned touching it with your finger while the soil is dry. Apparently, the oils on our skin kill it. I can't remember who said that in another post?! Bid or OEGman?! I don't know... but it worked for me!