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reply to Susan Flewelling


> Date: Mon, 8 Jun 1998 08:19:30 +0100 (BST)
> From: Allan Day <allan@crwys.demon.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: basic question re seedlings
> To: seeds-list@eskimo.com
> 
> On Sun 07 Jun, Susan Flewelling wrote:
> > This spring - actually late February and early March - I started a lot of
> > seeds - more than I should have.
> Were they overcrowded, did you prick them out at he right time?
> >However, they germinated past my
> > expectations and were doing great - until in early April I got Plant Start
> > (5-15-5) at the recommendation of a local garden centre.  Well, they
> > stopped growing - I know this is to help them put down roots but it's been
> > 2 months now and they are just so scrawney that there'd be no point in
> > putting them out in the garden - I doubt they'd survive.
> > 
> > I so enjoy growing from seed - the foxgloves are doing well - that it is
> > very discouraging to have to go buy bedding plants (especially ones that
> > are 6 to 8" up).
> Tall plants when bought & planted, especially if already in flower,can
> be very disappointing
> > 
> > Can anyone offer any suggestions as to what might have gone wrong?
> >  Susan 
> 
> Only a suggestion, but I suspect your plants have run out of nitrate.
> The seedlings started with all the nutrients in the seed capsule, this
> will all be gone now. If the leaves are a yellowish, even purplish
> rather than dark green, this could be an indication. You don't say how
> you started the plants but if it was in ready made multipurpose compost,
> this only has fertiliser for up to three weeks (if fresh, maybe it is
> stale), perhaps you have been a bit overgererous with the watering which
> would wash nutrients out and also cause compaction of the compost, we
> don't know about your weather conditions.
> 
> That plant start is very unbalanced and while it may be all right in
> some conditions it would seem to have overdone the P a bit which would
> minimise the already depleted nitrogen.
>  I suggest you try foliar feeding, the seaweed based formulations are
>  usually very good on trace elements.   I have proved to my satisfaction
> that Miracle Gro really works but I have no reason to doubt that other
> formulations are equally as good. Use at standard strength and
> concentrate on wetting all over, then use at half strength at every
> watering.
> 
> P.S. This has already been sent to seeds-list and was misdirected and
> then returned to me. I have sent it again to seeds-list, just to make
> sure I am sending this copy direct to you. I hope you understand.
 Later: Still having trouble - try again
-- 
Allan Day  Hereford HR2 7AU allan@crwys.demon.co.uk
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