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tomacco_gw

Every Seedling I Grow is Floppy/Tiny Stem - Why?

tomacco
15 years ago

I've noticed that all my seedlings that I start in pete plugs develop really thin stalks and end up growing sideways in the ground. Broccoli, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Cabbage, a couple flowers I started in plugs, pretty much everything but beans, tomatoes and squash get very floppy. I had many of my seedlings snap their own stems as they grew once I transplanted them to 4" rounds, because they were so fragile. More have snapped in the ground after I transplanted them. I'm inexperienced, but this seems out of the ordinary?

The best light I have for seedlings is a western facing window that gets pretty good light, but maybe not enough? Could that be the issue?

I am using the pre-prepared pete plugs to start the seeds, several per plug then killing the small ones when they're a couple inches tall and transplanting to 4" rounds when the seedlings are several inches tall. I use Scotts Organic potting soil with composted chicken manure in it, and sometimes I've mixed in 50/50 mushroom compost with it.

Do I need a grow lamp? Are the Ph or nutrients off? Is this normal?

Thanks! :)

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