Re: Growing Seeds
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Growing Seeds
- From: l*@teamzeon.com
- Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 11:56:16 -0500
Valerie Lowery@ZEON
02/09/99 11:56 AM
Doreen,
It sounds like your seedlings aren't getting enough light. If they're
growing tall and spindly with weak stems, it's a sign that they are
stretching towards your light source. I give my seedlings 12 hours of
light and adjust the light fixtures so that they are about 2 to 3 inches
above the plants. I don't know about the layout of your house, but the
winter sun is just too weak for me to try to grow seedlings in the
windowsill. They will inevitably grow spindly.
If you're sure of your light source and its intensity, you may be
overfertilizing. I don't start fertilizing seedlings until they have a few
"true leaves", not the embryonic ones they first sprout with. Then I
dilute my fertilizer by at least half and bottom-feed it to the seedlings.
They'll get this once a week or so. Overfertilizing causes rapid growth
that the seedlings are far too young to handle just yet. It may also cause
"burning" if you top-apply it without diluting it.
I'm by no means a professional; just someone who has learned through trial
and error. I now have stocky little plants to put out every spring.
Val in KY
zone 6a
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