Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

Grown in a tray on a window sill - they are much thinner than normal.
(They germinated very quickly within 7 days 23 out of 25 were through
and about 2cms high) - no under"floor" heating.

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?


I assume that when I pot on if I bury most of the stem, then it's
spindliness won't matter anyway?

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

JMS wrote:
Grown in a tray on a window sill - they are much thinner than normal.
(They germinated very quickly within 7 days 23 out of 25 were through
and about 2cms high) - no under"floor" heating.

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?


I assume that when I pot on if I bury most of the stem, then it's
spindliness won't matter anyway?

A few years ago I tried several seeds on a windowsil, needless to say they
were all a bit spindly and sickly. Dont get any of that now, I use a 5 Tier
mini growhouse with much success. Have only had 3 seed failures in 3 years,
and all the seedlings have been robust and very healthy.

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?


Try it on half of them, you have nothing to loose and would be an
interesting experiment.
David Hill

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:19:47 -0000, "~Brian~"
wrote:

JMS wrote:
Grown in a tray on a window sill - they are much thinner than normal.
(They germinated very quickly within 7 days 23 out of 25 were through
and about 2cms high) - no under"floor" heating.

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?


I assume that when I pot on if I bury most of the stem, then it's
spindliness won't matter anyway?

A few years ago I tried several seeds on a windowsil, needless to say they
were all a bit spindly and sickly. Dont get any of that now, I use a 5 Tier
mini growhouse with much success. Have only had 3 seed failures in 3 years,
and all the seedlings have been robust and very healthy.



I wonder what it is that actually makes the difference?

Any ideas anyone?

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

On 26 Mar, 22:42, JMS wrote:
Grown in a tray on a window sill - they are much thinner than normal.
(They germinated very quickly within 7 days 23 out of 25 were through
and about 2cms high) - no under"floor" heating.

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?

I assume that when I pot on if I bury most of the stem, then it's
spindliness won't matter anyway?

Yes, bury the stems and roots will grow from the buried part making
the plant much stronger.

The wind experiment might work, as I remember being told by those
involved with the pitch at the Millennium Stadium, that one of the
reasons the grass struggled to grow there (in addition to the lack of
sunlight in parts of the ground) was when the roof was closed there
was no wind at pitch level.

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:36:04 +0000, JMS
wrote:

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:19:47 -0000, "~Brian~"
wrote:

JMS wrote:
Grown in a tray on a window sill - they are much thinner than normal.
(They germinated very quickly within 7 days 23 out of 25 were through
and about 2cms high) - no under"floor" heating.

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?


I assume that when I pot on if I bury most of the stem, then it's
spindliness won't matter anyway?

A few years ago I tried several seeds on a windowsil, needless to say they
were all a bit spindly and sickly. Dont get any of that now, I use a 5 Tier
mini growhouse with much success. Have only had 3 seed failures in 3 years,
and all the seedlings have been robust and very healthy.



I wonder what it is that actually makes the difference?

Any ideas anyone?

I am convinced that the difference between weak/spindly
and shorter/green/vigorous is down to light levels,

I grow mine on a low conservatory shelf as far as possible in full
sunlight, the covers come off of the unheated incubation trays as soon
as the seeds show. It they're in reduced light for even a 24 hours
they will grow too tall and weak. The mantra for me is as much
light as possible, as soon as possible. As soon as they have a
fully formed pair of first seedling leaves, I transplant into small
individual pots, and as deep as possible, roots right down to the base
of the pot and buried so that just the top of the seedling is showing.
Full light again and at all times. Works for me.

The conservatory is virtually part of the house, has its own heating
(rarely used) and runs @ about 70°C most days.

--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

The conservatory is virtually part of the house, has its own heating
(rarely used) *and runs @ about 70°C most days.


70c ??? I doubt it somehow

70f probably

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:32:21 -0700 (PDT), Dave Hill
wrote:

The conservatory is virtually part of the house, has its own heating
(rarely used) *and runs @ about 70°C most days.


70c ??? I doubt it somehow

70f probably

Doh!! Corset is.

--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)I

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

JMS wrote:
Grown in a tray on a window sill - they are much thinner than normal.
(They germinated very quickly within 7 days 23 out of 25 were through
and about 2cms high) - no under"floor" heating.

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?


I assume that when I pot on if I bury most of the stem, then it's
spindliness won't matter anyway?


The balance between temperature and light levels is wrong .
To achieve strong healthy plants you must either reduce the air
temperature or increase the light levels.
They are in effect "Drawn" they are reaching for the light.
Don

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:49:32 +0100, Donwill
wrote:

JMS wrote:
Grown in a tray on a window sill - they are much thinner than normal.
(They germinated very quickly within 7 days 23 out of 25 were through
and about 2cms high) - no under"floor" heating.

I saw on a programme tonight on TV the gardener was stroking the
seedlings to simulate wind movement - and thicken up stems

Is it worth doing?


I assume that when I pot on if I bury most of the stem, then it's
spindliness won't matter anyway?


The balance between temperature and light levels is wrong .
To achieve strong healthy plants you must either reduce the air
temperature or increase the light levels.
They are in effect "Drawn" they are reaching for the light.

I do think that tomato seeds are often germinated at too high a
temperature and kept at that temperature for too long.

I always notice that quite early in the season, tomato seeds will be
springing up all over the greenhouse soil, and they will be sturdy and
dark green, they didn't want incubating"!


--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

Tomato Seedlings Thin and Spindly
 

???? ? ???? wrote:
I always notice that quite early in the season, tomato seeds will be
springing up all over the greenhouse soil, and they will be sturdy and
dark green, they didn't want incubating"!

The strongest tomato seedlings I've got this year are the 2 that came up
self-planted in an orange tree after the orange tree was brought indoors. I
don't think it's the temperature so much (as it will have germinated at the
same 'cool, indoors' temp as all the rest, but it /has/ been sitting in
slightly damp soil for a good few months longer than those that were
actually deliberately planted.