This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: reply to Susan Flewelling

Allan Day wrote:
> 
> > 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
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index