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Vegetable Gardening

Broccoli seedlings leggy and yellowing

15 years ago

I am growing under four 32W T8 lights on 24 hrs a day. I was growing in my garage (55-60 degrees), but have since moved my setup to the furnace room (68-72 degrees). One clue that prompted me to check the temp (duh!) was the yellowing of my broccoli leaves. They're about 2 inches tall after growing for 4 weeks, leggy, and starting to yellow and curl. My tomatoes and peppers are strong. Any ideas?

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Comments (6)

leira
15 years ago
"Leggy" usually indicates not enough light.

Frankly, I wouldn't expect broccoli to be bothered by the 55-60 degree temps, but I wouldn't be surprised if tomatoes or peppers were a little slow. I'm not convinced that cool temps are the problem here.
digdirt2
15 years ago
Agree - cooler temps is better for growing, leggy = not enough light or lights too far away from the plants, and yellowing is due to too much watering 99% of the time.

Dave
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Thank you all for your answers. I see a spectrum from very hopeful to not very hopeful for my plants. Based on my understanding of all the suggestions, my plan now is to (1) thin the broccoli to one or two stems per pot, keeping the shortest (but few of them are short). Most pots only have three or four stems, anyway. (2) start putting the plants outside during daylight hours. Daytime temps here range from the low 50s to the high 60s; nights occasionally dip below freezing. I have been putting the seedlings under a plastic box when outside to keep them warmer -- does that block the full spectrum? Should I just put them out with no cover? (3) when I transplant them (should I do that as soon as I see true leaves?), bury the stems an inch or two into the soil. I am planning to transplant them to pots first, and then to the garden with some kind of protective mesh or something when they seem pretty sturdy. In the past, something has eaten my broccoli plants outside within a couple of weeks of germination every single year (which is only about three before I stopped trying).
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karenrei - I'm sure you've researched PSB and know it needs a long growing season. This year's are about 3 inches tall now (in seed modules in the porch). I am in the process of hardening them off and then they will be planted out in a couple of weeks. But I will not be harvesting until next Feb/March/April. (There is still a bit to harvest on last winter's plants) Do you think yours will overwinter in your zone? Also, if you have never grown it before be prepared for much smaller heads than on green broccoli. It looks like this. (Taken in April) But the flavour is terrific. You can eat the tender leaves around the head too. (BTW don't be tempted by the 1/4 pound of seed unless you are a farmer. It has very high germination and I would plant maybe four or five plants per person in your family.)
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I'm having a parallel experience. My nightshades are strong and happy but my brassicas and lettuces are leggy, small, weak and not growing. I too think I've overwatered the whole crop (the surface of many cells has a white dusty covering - fungus/mold? they're growing in a "seeding mix" of peat moss, perlite, limestone and some sort of wetting agent) and I've not watered them for days and days but the "soil" still hasn't dried out. Will the plants be able to recover from this overwatering? Should I help them inside for a little while first or just get them outside ASAP for best outcome? Do I need to transplant the tomatoes/etc. inside, because of that dust on their soil? Thank you so much for your help! Regina
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Hi, bug - although I'm new to Upstate SC, I'm in a zone 7, probably similar to your conditions. You will always be better off starting seeds outside to cut down on the legginess - but the heat is another matter. I have cabbage & Swiss chard started, and I don't think it's too late to do those or broccoli or cauliflower. Both of them can take a little frost. I would summer sow them in containers outdoors, in the shade - I haven't been using lids at all on the ones I've started. I've had good germination, but mixed success overall as I believe I am growing some of these things as bug food, LOL. I had the same experience with lettuce - no germination on normal types - my mesclun mixes have had some germination, again, only to become bug food. I think it is too hot for lettuce right now - I'm going to try again in another couple of weeks. Good luck!
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thephotohound
Original Author
15 years ago
Now that you say it, I think I may have overwatered them. Does it make sense that broccoli and brussels sprouts would suffer from overwatering and overfeeding, while tomatoes and peppers would thrive? It seems like that is exactly what is happening.
tannabanana
15 years ago
Are the broccoli in individual pots or are they in flats? Have you transplanted them to bigger pots yet? The reason I ask is that my lower leaves of my broccoli started turning yellow when they began to get root bound. Also, the seed leaves will turn yellow, you only need to be concerned when the true leaves turn yellow.
digdirt2
15 years ago
thephotohound - posted on your other post of this question that different plants will show the effects of over-watering at different times. But no seedling "thrives" on over-watering? ;)

Dave
thephotohound
Original Author
15 years ago
Come to think of it, right after I fertilized for the first time is when they all started to curl up and turn yellow. The tomatoes and peppers are loving it, but the broccoli and brussels sprouts are apparently getting burnt by it. I added 1 capful of Neptune's harvest seaweed and fish fertilizer (2-3-4) and diluted it with 2 cups of water. I think that mix may have been too strong, come to think of it... Would that cause a yellow shriveling (not yellow wilting)?

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