Previously, she served as a communication specialist in the nonprofit field. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Connecticut. By Ellen Douglas. Related Articles. Tomato Fertilizer Requirements. Poor Indoor Light The greatest disadvantage home growers have in starting tomato seeds is the lack of the strong, overhead lighting that greenhouse growers can provide their annual seedlings. Inadequate Potting Methods While most seeding flats are just right for getting tomato seeds off to a good start, they can cause problems if the seedlings are not repotted.
Older Seedlings Starting your seedlings too early -- or planting them too late -- can result in legginess both before and after garden transplant. Overfertilization Tomato seedlings that become leggy in the garden bed may be reacting to overly high amounts of fertilizer in the soil, notes the Ohio State University Extension program.
If this is the case, it may be time to replace those bulbs with either T5 tube lights or T8 tube lights. A simple replacement may be all you need to prevent leggy seedlings. Be sure to remove the humidity domes from your seedling trays or take them off the heating mats within a couple days of sprouting. Seedlings left to grow in such environments develop thread-thin stems that are far too fragile to survive in overly humid or hot conditions.
Bottom watering ensures the entire seed starting medium is moist and encourages roots to spread downward. Leggy seedlings can sometimes be saved by gently brushing your fingers back and forth along the tops of the plants every day. This simple motion simulates an outdoor breeze and tricks the seedlings into thinking they need to grow thicker stems to hold up against windy conditions.
You can also circulate a fan near your seedlings for the same purpose and it does double duty by reducing the chances of damping off. Just be sure to keep an eye on your seedlings if you have a fan running, as they may be prone to drying out more quickly.
To promote good plant health and keep seedlings from stretching for light, space them no less than an inch or two apart once they develop the first true leaves. Overcrowded seedlings will compete for light, and lack of proper airflow also makes them more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
If the soil is warm enough and the seedlings are mature enough to be transplanted, harden them off and get them outside in the sun to keep them from growing leggier.
Sometimes, seedlings live indoors longer than they should because of bad timing with frost or slow turnover with older plants in the garden. If you have leggy tomato seedlings, the best way to correct them is to repot the seedlings or transplant them and bury the stems up to the lowest set of leaves.
The No-Waste Vegetable Cookbook is my latest book. Garden Betty is where I write about modern homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventuring — all that encompass a life well-lived outdoors. After all, the secret to a good life is Read more ». Not sure what to do with it now. Dill tends to grow very tall, but as it grows, it should be pinched back to keep it from getting leggy.
Another group that can be saved by planting them up to their chins is cabbage, pak choy and broccoli. We accidentally grew them at too high a temp this year and almost lost all of our plants.
I did some research and found that it might be possible to save them. The article was very clear about the chances though because the stems would be so fragile that the soil might crush them. Place the tomato plant at an angle so that the foliage is at least at a bit angled away from the soil surface. As the plant continues to grow, the stem will bend toward the direction of the sun, and, in a few weeks or so, the top of the plant will be relatively upright.
But the best solution is to start out with good-sized plants. The smaller transplants adjust to the shock of transplanting much easier, since they have much less foliage to keep supplied with water. You want your plants to grow vigorous roots, stems and leaves before they have to contend with supporting needy flowers and fruits. The leaves manufacture the food for the plant to produce a bumper crop, so you want the plant to make good foliar growth before it begins fruiting.
Look for short, stocky plants with a thick stem. At this point, you could prune the top of plant if you wish. As the branches grow, you can tie them to a stake or support it however you want. The result is a bushier tomato plant. Instead, let the tomato plant send its energy to the side growth, then cut back as necessary. On this page:. Save and Share:.
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