Here's Why and How to Stop it from Happening
Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/p2gvjhe
It's so exciting! You make your seedling trays, and you fill them with dirt. It's finally time to plant your spring seeds! You carefully lower them in the soil and cover them and water. Then you wait to see that first little green tip peeking through the earth.
A week later shy little shoots should be coming up to find the light. This is always a wonderous time, there is nothing better than seeing the cycle of life right in front of you. It really is amazing how quickly they grow. Before you know it, they are two inches tall, with lovely green leaves. You are ecstatic that they have sprouted so well and are already looking forward to transplanting them outside and having some delicious vegetables to eat this summer.
Then as the days go by, your seedlings continue to grow.....taller and taller. They don't sprout any more leaves, but the stem keeps growing. Some of them fall over. Some of them wilt and the leaves fall off. Some of the stalks just collapse and the plant dies.
NOOOOOOOO..... you think. What happened to my pretty seedlings of a few weeks ago? You try to tie them up, prune them, do anything to save them, but soon all of them are dead. You keep thinking: what did I do wrong?
The answer to this problem is actually pretty easy. Your seedlings are not getting enough light. They need direct sunlight on a window sill for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. If they don't get it, then they grow and stretch taller and taller at an accelerated rate to try to get closer to the light, until they cannot bear their own weight, and then fall over and die. Even tying them up usually will not help, the stems are just too weak to maintain the plant.
Then as the days go by, your seedlings continue to grow.....taller and taller. They don't sprout any more leaves, but the stem keeps growing. Some of them fall over. Some of them wilt and the leaves fall off. Some of the stalks just collapse and the plant dies.
NOOOOOOOO..... you think. What happened to my pretty seedlings of a few weeks ago? You try to tie them up, prune them, do anything to save them, but soon all of them are dead. You keep thinking: what did I do wrong?
The answer to this problem is actually pretty easy. Your seedlings are not getting enough light. They need direct sunlight on a window sill for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. If they don't get it, then they grow and stretch taller and taller at an accelerated rate to try to get closer to the light, until they cannot bear their own weight, and then fall over and die. Even tying them up usually will not help, the stems are just too weak to maintain the plant.
| You can use growing lights in place of sunlight, but they must be growing lights. A regular light will not provide plants with the spectrum of light that is needed for the plant to grow correctly. |  Image Credit: Amazon.com |
It is also a good idea to turn an oscillating fan (on low) on your trays for a few hours each day to simulate wind. It will help them to grow hardier stems.
It's not too late to start over and replant your seeds, if your first planting has crashed and burned. Clean our your growing containers, or use new ones and replant immediately, using the recommended amount of light. I think you will see a big difference.
Have a great week,
Jade :)
It's not too late to start over and replant your seeds, if your first planting has crashed and burned. Clean our your growing containers, or use new ones and replant immediately, using the recommended amount of light. I think you will see a big difference.
Have a great week,
Jade :)
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