Starting seeds indoors

[Scott]

Have done it for years but the plant get too tall and are extremely thin. I transplant the seedling as deep as possible but when it comes time to plant outside they are 18 inches tall and thinner than a straw. Any suggestions/

 

[nachoqtpie]

Do you have a light source overhead?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might want to look through this current thread. It talks about it a bit.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=32745

The recommendation I've seen and what I try to do is to keep the light about 2" from the plants while they are growing. Not always easy to do when some grow faster than others. I use a fluorescent bulb hung on chains so I can adjust it.

I keep mine in a window but the light is not really great from that. There is a porch outside blocking the best of the light. Every little bit helps. Additional light from the side, whether a different light source or reflected light, can help.

I've read that having them too thick can contribute, but that goes back to competition for light.

 

[Scott]

No. Just outdoor light.

 

[Scott]

Thanks. I'll look through it.

 

[catjac1975]

What plants are you referring too? Try turning the plants every week or so. You may be starting them too early. Broccoli can be planted quite deep. Tomatoes can be planted very deep and you can gently wind the stems in the hole. This is good for tomatoes especially in dry weather. Leggy squash can be planted regularly and then soil added over the vine -more root will sprout. Bottom heat has solved that problem for me.

 

[Detlor Poultry]

Try turning the plants every week or so.

When I'm starting flowers for Church (Easter), I turn them 45 degrees everyday, and they grow fairly straight. Every plant that does well in the windowsill, I collect seeds from. These are the very hardiest of plants; they don't need artificial light or heat; just dirt (authentic dirt) and water and sunshine. I'm working on improving the quite-picky plants Bearbind and Elisabeth this way.

 

[catjac1975]

Try turning the plants every week or so.

When I'm starting flowers for Church (Easter), I turn them 45 degrees everyday, and they grow fairly straight. Every plant that does well in the windowsill, I collect seeds from. These are the very hardiest of plants; they don't need artificial light or heat; just dirt (authentic dirt) and water and sunshine. I'm working on improving the quite-picky plants Bearbind and Elisabeth this way.

Do you mean you are successful without buying potting soil?

 

[Detlor Poultry]

Do you mean you are successful without buying potting soil?

Yep. Good old fashioned dirt. Potting soil usually has little 'things' in it that are formulated to, well I don't know, maybe fertilize or balance. But Dirt is good because it's everywhere, free, and simple. Personnaly, I don't want to have those 'things' in the soil, because, the plant's, over the generations, may grow to need those 'things'. I don't mind using peat moss, because, if I have to, I can harvest peat moss (which is everywhere. You have no idea. And it's good for potting, insulation, poultry bedding, it's great!) and I do.