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Skinny seedlings - how to strengthen

Posted by ginginjoan SubTropicQld (My Page) on
Mon, Jul 21, 08 at 1:23

Hello fellow Gardenwebbers,

Was very happy with the reply I had to my last query and hoping to find yet another clever person to help me this time.

I have good success with germinating seeds using a table-top greenhouse set on the back porch. No heating and no light overnight. The porch is covered and filled on 3 sides and faces north-east. I use good quality seed raising mix and water with weak seaweed mix once a week. I have started in the last couple of days to take the pots out into my herbery which has 30% shadecloth over it. This now means they get filtered sun to about 1 pm.

Currently I have chinese celery; Roma tomatoes; leeks; spring onions; cos lettuce; Tommy Toe tomatoes; and, capsicum. All are about 2" tall but are spidery thin.

Please, how do I get the stems to strengthen?

Thanks,
GinGinJoan
Email:joan.mortimer@hotmail.com


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Skinny seedlings - how to strengthen

Weak and thin seedlings indicate that they do not have enough light. Seedlings will naturally try to grow taller and taller if they don't have sufficient light hoping that at some stage they will reach the light before they die. The best idea is not to develop the weak seedlings in the first place rather than trying to strengthen them but if you give them lots more light they may improve. I'm in the southern states and so can't advise you on how much sun is appropriate but I think I would try full sun to 1pm and then filtered afternoon light.


 
 

 

 


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