Leggy Seedlings Advice Please

aliasojo

I know you can plant tomato seedlings a bit deeper if they go leggy but I'm not sure what else you can do this with.

My Marigold seedlings have got a number of proper leaves now and look healthy but I think they might be too leggy. Can I re-pot these a bit deeper?

What about cucumbers?

Peppers?

(I think my cucumbers and peppers are fine, I'm just asking to learn iyswim.)

savvyshopper74

My seedlings are always leggy. I always plant them up to the first leaves. They have two chances in my book, live or die. Hope this helps

Leif

Peppers will be fine. Not tried with t'others.

wellused

I have repoted my marigolds into 7cm pots they are about 5cm high.

OddjobKIA

savvyshopper74 wrote: »

My seedlings are always leggy. I always plant them up to the first leaves. They have two chances in my book, live or die. Hope this helps

I always over plant everything, everything in our house has to be self sufficent. Kids, adults, so does the veg..

cootambear

Leif wrote: »

Peppers will be fine. Not tried with t'others.

yorkshire lad/lasss? :T

blossomhill_2

If replanting leggy seedlings, be sure to settle the compost around the stem very carefully to avoid bruising the stem, as any bruising could lead to a break or damage that would let in bacteria and rot

Being leggy is often due to sowing too early which means that light levels are too low and the seedling strains to reach the fading light at dusk and in the mornings, when it really requires a longer day length. You can counter this by giving them an overhead artificial light in the evenings, or by making sure their light source in the day is overhead, (eg under a Velux window, or in a greenhouse) not coming in from a nearby window

You can also induce them to produce a stouter stem by introducing a gentle wind - softly blowing through the stems a few times a day can be enough to promote this

Being sown too warm also causes leginess
HTH

aliasojo

blossomhill wrote: »

Being leggy is often due to sowing too early which means that light levels are too low and the seedling strains to reach the fading light at dusk and in the mornings, when it really requires a longer day length

That would fit perfectly I think.

I was impatient this year and with hindsight, I definitely started lots of things far too early.

Live and learn I guess.

blossomhill_2

sowing too early is the beginers' main failing, we have all done it but gardening is an art of patience!
Good luck

Soot2006

Just keep the seeds from your best plants each year to replant ... You'll soon have the best strain for your own garden and circumstances. Like many others here, my plants have two options: live or die. The strongest, hardiest plants get collected for the next year, everything else can go compost. It has made a difference over the years!