It's funny that you had to work at getting your seedlings to look as miserable as mine normally do! Thank you for this video, caught my seedlings just in time for this gardening season!
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Do you have any "Lux" recommendations for seedling lighting intensity? So much conflicting info out there. Im starting these guys in the house. First year starting from seeds. Trying to get a good start !
I've heard so many gardeners say NOT to fertilize until first TRUE leaves. In my experiences the seeds sprouted in potting mix (with added fertilizer) did WAY better than those in seed mixture (with no fertilizer). I'm so glad I came across this video 😀.
Thanks so much for the video. I just found your channel and I often wondered about stretchy plants. I had some this winter in the house. I hope they’re gonna make it, but that was a very good video.
A special trait with tomatoes is that the "hairs" on the stem actually are roots. If you have a leggy tomato plant, just plant it deeper or lay the stem sideways and then gently stake the top into a normal position. The buried stem roots itself quickly.
Hola! No es exactamente así. Los pelos son pelos y nada mas, no son raices. A veces cuando la planta está muy alta o le faltan nutrientes comienza a desarrollar raices visibles en el tallo y tienen aspecto de pequeñas verrugas blanquecinas en el tallo.
Glad I finally saw this comment. I’ve never worried about leggy tomato seedlings, when I transplant, I always just burry them up to that seedling leaf set and have never had any issue. Peppers are the same way. Not sure if that works for all plants, but the majority of them that I plant in my garden don’t mind being buried a little deeper so they aren’t as floppy.
An award-winning tomato grower in southern Oregon laid his long stems horizontally under the soil to promote more root growth. I planted close to the South Wall of the house and had 8' h. x 4ft dia. plants. Delicious. Thank you for the tips
I'm glad you added in the last part about planting it deeper. I was taught to do this on every tomato plant. I usually do it three times per plant. Cut off the bottom branch, bury to almost the top of the plant in a pot. Transplant into the ground with the same process, cut bottom branch, bury to almost the top. A couple of weeks later, cut bottom branch once again and pull dirt up to the plant. I end up with a tomato bush that needs no cage or support that's covered with tomatoes...... Great video my friend. Seedlings look really good and you have a nice setup!
Second this! Can't remember for the life of me where I learnt this tip, but I've done it with every tomato plant and I've always had the same results as you!
Me too! I could have saved the seedlings he threw out by just planting them up to their little leaves. Actually, I could have taken his thinned seedlings, shoved them in dirt to their leaves and they would grown more roots. Tomatoes are weeds albeit lovely weeds that grow delicious fruit.
What do you mean by “cut off the bottom branch?” Are you just removing leaves/stems off the main stem and planting it deeper? Cutting off a branch and burying that?
Definitely one of the best seedling troubleshooting videos I've seen. This is my first year growing my vegetable garden from seed, and I was looking for videos on when to take off my humidity dome. Now I know that and more! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Same for me! This is my first time growing herbs from seed. I wasn't sure when to remove my dome and didn't even know that my stretched seedlings were *not* what they were meant to look like. I'm going to try some of these techniques from the video to save them. Very happy to have found this video!
This video saved my seedlings last year and I am rewatching it this year again and hopefully won't mess the seedlings up from the start again. Thank you for this video!
It's actually a good idea to plant seedlings as deep as possible so more roots will grow from where leaves are located. It will make your tomatoes strong. Grew up in the country and my family grew 80% of our food. If tomatoes are too tall, we would plant them a little bit slanted and they always grew very well. Also, you can make seedlings from new tomato shoots. Just plant them deep and water regularly and you will have more tomato plants.
You don't even have to plant the suckers to grow tomatoes from them, it is enough to stick them in a bucket of water with some nutrient and they will develop into autonomous tomato plants. Aside from the novelty, this is a pretty cheap and low-effort way to increase your yields (slightly), especially if you don't have a lot of space.
Oh man I did everything wrong! Thank you so much :) I'll try to salvage my poor plants with your tips. Your insights will give me extra-beautiful plants next year!!
I never knew the temp should be lowered once germinated! Also the feeding is important and most tutorials don't mention that. One tip about thinning - snip the extra with a small scissors rather than pulling out the extra one by the root - that way you don't disturb the root of the keeper :) Thanks! I just discovered you
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm With tomatoes, spindly seedlings are not a big problem. I bury the plants to the neck anyways when I plant them out. Tomatoes have tiny hairs on their stems that grow into roots. Edit: Ok, you knew that. But you can still bury them deeper than you did in the video. Peppers otoh are far more difficult. They need a lot of light and the temperature needs to be higher than with other vegetable seedlings. Most importantly: Once something has grown, you cannot push it back together.
Just watched a video from MIGARDENER where he lets the seedlings mature a bit more (2 sets of true leaves) and have more visible "hairs" on the stem. Then, he simply snips the weaker seedling at dirt level, and replants it WITHOUT ROOTS right up to the cotyledons and they end up growing roots and surviving! Amazing!
Thank you for this video! After watching dozens of hours of gardening videos and going through articles this one is hands down one of the most helpful videos I have come across. Like many others have commented, this is what most of my seedlings look like :D Now to the rescue, maybe I can still salvage some of them :)
If they are tomatoes or other nightshade varieties, pepper, eggplant, etc. I’ve never worried if they get a little leggy. Just bury them up to the seed leaves, and they do fine. Anything below the seed leaves can turn into roots if they are buried. I’ve even had success doing this with other plant varieties and had no issue with them either. I’m sure there are some plants you need to worry about getting leggy, but I haven’t run across any yet in my 8 years of gardening.
This is my 2nd year to attempt growing some food and most of my tomato seedlings were pretty leggy. I got most of them to recover well enough to transplant, which I did a few days ago. I had to bury them pretty deep and I wouldn't have known to do that if it weren't for this video.
Thank you for mentioning the bit about airing them out instead of leaving them in humidity. And not having heavy air on them. I think I've made just about every mistake in the book. Don't know how I missed this advice on so many other videos. Indoors takes a lot more work than allowing nature to do it. I noticed you even have to acclimate them to outdoor conditions. Thanks for the details. This has given me the confidence to try growing again.
As long as your seedlings are still nice and "bendy" you can lay the root plug horizontally right at the bottom of the pot and bend the stem in a U shape so that only the crown and leaves are sticking out of the soil. No need for tall pots! I've even potted rootplugs upside down as long as the stem does not break no problems!
I am learning so much from so many farmers (large farms or small homestead family gardeners) and this video kindof incapsulates all I've learned and since done. I had cabbages with this issue and had to thin them out, then took the smaller ones I've removed that still had good roots and I planted them in their own cell. A little organic plant food, and light, and they bounced right back. Did the same with Broccoli. It's exciting!
This is the best video I have watched on leggy seedlings. Some say they are to far from the light, some say to close. Dont out them under light until taller. Very conflicting info, Thank you!
Tomato seedlings will get spindly because they grow towards the light. I used to grow them in the basement, and hang a grow light on strings and lower it right over the tray. Raise the light as they grew. The tomato plants grow with nice thick stems.
@@Shonuffinman We have tomatoes going in our basement right now and it is freezing to me down there. Our grow light stays on for 12 hours, and I blacked out the windows to keep it dark in the area that they are. They're doing great.
Thank you for this! I’m one week in and have leggy seedlings. I was about to start over with new seeds but this gives me confidence to keep these guys going!
Ah this video is really exactly what I needed. I don't learn from people telling me what to do. I need a video of what CAN go wrong (because let's face it, novice gardeners do more things wrong than right) and how to break those brown thumb habits. I just took my dome off my poor little chamomile seedlings. Thanks so much =)
I'm doing this TODAY! I had one shop light with 2 daylight bulbs over them, but I just added another one beside it. Wasn't sure if that alone would help - then found your video & feel like now I have a better chance to reign them in. THANK YOU!!!
I didn’t even know I had a problem until I accidentally spied your video below! Going to try your techniques tomorrow. Thank you in advance!!! You saved us from impending tomato plant doom, grief, and disappointment! 🌱🍅👍😁🙏🏼🍅🌱
I watched your video the first week I started growing my seedlings. And I had to come back now that they're beginning to stretch a bit more. Thank you so much!
What an absolutely awesome video! I've had leggy seeds a lot and just babied them and end up planting them. Your out come is far better. I will be doing that next year for sure. But what really, really, want to see more of is those other seedlings you passed by so quickly; they were short and already had true leaves! I've never been able to get my seedlings to grow so well and don't even think I've seen any others on You Tube that looked so great. I'll search your other videos and probably find it!
Echoing everyone else's comments, thank you soooo much for this video!!! First timer with seedlings here, so this fully explains what is happening with my seedlings. I will attempt to get them healthy with your tips. It's been 2 weeks, and I still have the seedling leaves on them. Mine are in peat pots, so I may consider transplanting them deeper into cups or containers this weekend. Thank you again!
Thank you for giving me the answer I’ve been looking for. No one else tell you that once they have come out to remove the dome and lower temperatures! It didn’t seem right to me to leave them in such a humid wet environment. I can’t thank you enough, you save all my seedlings.
Oh my gosh, me too!! I somehow blindly did the correct steps and saved my baby tomatoes seedlings, if I could post pictures I would show you. the greenhouses we set up one I ordered from Amazon and the 2nd one my boyfriend made out of his old popup fishing shanty, lol it's a site but it's working 💚🌱
I once was an expert at growing those long leggy seedlings that eventually fell over died. Was very frustrating, im finally learning. Awesome video, thanks
Thank you ! Most helpful, i had stretched seedlings, i piled a little soil around each base of stem, maybe 3/4 inch high and they recovered. Tnx for affirming that the plant will make roots where the stem got buried. 👍🏼☝️🙏🙌
Very helpful, thank you! It's my first year and this video it's a play by play as to what happened to my seedlings, the only difference is I accidentally saved mine. Now I'm in the true leaf stage and you sir have given me hope :)
What a timely article. I had this exact thing happened to me two days ago because it was too warm in the house. So I took them out to the grow room with a bright grow light where it’s cooler and they are working really well with a fan gently flowing these new sprouts and I will give them some weak food tomorrow. And the tip about the tomatoes is excellent. I guess it’s that time of the year when people are trying to start their garden.
Trick with such leggy tomatoe seedlings. Plant the long stem a little deeper. Down to the first leaves. We will get extra roots! The plant will be stronger.
I’ve attempted to rescue tomato seedlings on a flat tray like that by cutting an inch or so length of paper towel cardboard tubing and adding soil right on top of the flat to the “neck” of the leaves. It does work until you can transplant them. Good if two adjacent seedlings are at different heights too.
Wish I could give two thumbs up. One for your video, one for all those poor seedlings out there suffered week long determined neglect, intentional or not, and survived
I watched so many germination videos and yours is where i learned what's wrong with my seedlings. My seeds have looonnggg stems and the seed head hasn't opened up to cotyledon 😢
This has always been my problem living in Florida. You are the first person I’ve seen address this issue. Thank god for UA-cam’s algorithm!! Thank you!!
Great info. Thank you so much. I start my seeds outside as soon as it’s warm enough and had a bumper crop of tomatoes and tomato plants. Gave a lot away.
Thank you! You literally saved my seedlings. I tried more heat, more water, leaving the clear plastic hood on longer... I was doing everything for germination, not for growth. The TL:DR... heat and humidity for germination, then remove heat/lid and increase light and air flow. THANK YOU so much, it was so hard to find a good clear concise video on this. How often should I water my seedlings?
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm The person asked you a question & you gave a canned reply. If you want to appear as if you care about your viewership, you probably should actually answer his or her question. Maybe it was an oversight caused by you skimming too many comments or maybe you got interrupted while you were replying. Whatever, happens to all of us. But it would be nice if you attempted to answer the viewer's query, even if it is to say watering varies on the particular crop being watered & the age of the now germinated seedlings. Peace
Missed your question, sorry. It depends on the size of the pot and how far along the plants are. For the plug trays I used in this video, I need to water every day. If the plants are comparatively large, or it's a warm day, I may even have to water twice. A larger cell or pot holds more water, so you can get away with fewer waterings.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you for the response. What are your thoughts of putting water in the trays underneath and letting the roots drink up from the tray?
@@rachelpatterson1616 I tried last year, got lots of blooms, but never developed any tomatillos inside the pretty shaped bell flower. I then later realized I only planted 1 plant and they need 2 to cross pollinate. Sigh....good luck!!!
Hi Jason! My experience on seedlings I’m sad to admit I fear is a real failure. The flower seedlings all came through ok but they keep prospering so weak and listless it’s disappointing all because I simply didn’t know enough to start on the first place. Luckily your video has put me on trying to save some, they are all flowers I love. O well, mistakes are a good lessons but it saddens me. I won’t give up! Thank you, you’re so kind sharing.
I rotate my trays daily towards the sun daily. It strengthens the the stem on all sides. I love in warm, moist, humid, sunny Florida which can dry out a seedling in a heartbeat.
Hello, i have grown tomatoes in a greenhouse for many years and my grandfather was my teacher. Some very good advice in this video. But did anyone else notice the poor bug swimming for its life at 4.50. Regards Chris.
I didn't know…take the tray off heat mat once they sprouted and growing, lower temp, air movement and fertilize…no wonder my seeds were always a disaster. This video was a master class in seed starting, thank you.
you can also just trans plant them to a bigger pot and put soil close to the top of the plant they will grow roots where they were leggy at and auto correct when put outdoors
@@fainitesbarley2245 I think a lot of monocots have adventitious roots. Obviously this works with tomatoes, but I wouldn't try this with other dicots without researching.
had that leggy problem with my tomatoes so started using plastic drink cups with abour 2 inches of soil placed the seeds wnen they git up about 2 inchs i added some soil so they were sticking out i keep doing this till cup is full then they are strong enough to plant weather permitting arond good fri .
Hi Ramona, I have been using a fan and grow light and they are in a south window in my little greenhouse. Should i keep the fan on all day and overnight, or just a few hours a day? Thanks!
Should I use the oscillation fan before they germinated, or just as soon as they come out of the ground? Is it okay to have multiple different vegetables seeds in a seed starter tray
Very informative and helpful. I also take the thinned-out seedling and plant it in another cup or small container. This works well with peppers and tomatoes.
It would appear that I leave them in germination conditions too long after the seeds have sprouted. Hopefully, with your instructions I will need to save less seedlings and start producing stronger ones. 💪
Right! Good advice from you as usual. Last year I buried my tomato plants in deep (8 inch) pots and I've never had such strong plants. Afterwards I planted them with the roots horizontal, bending up the stem to the trainer.
I start my seeds in a tray of moist paper towels. As the seeds grow and get leggy, I just gently add soil around them. I add a bit more soil as they continue growing strong stems.
Great lesson. Reminds me that plants move minerals through themselves through evaporation out of their leaves... If you leave them in stagnant air (along with warmth and a lack of light )they stretch as if they were still under damp soil and are so weak. If those leaves hit dry (er) air and light after they germinate they stay much shorter.
Hi! I live in a cold climate with a short growing season. I get leggy plants a lot because the days are short far longer. I find tomatoes to be hardy as long as one chooses the variety suited to the climate. Even grocery store tomatoes do well, as long as they come from your state or province. Another amazing feature with tomatoes is you can cover those legs! Add a little soil where the stem is purplish (the base) and tomatoes will root from there making a sturdier plant over time. I'm terrible with fertilizers, so I use basic compost/ soil and it seems to be enough. Finally, I can't put mine out in the garden until June/last frost! I wish we could share photos. Thanks for a nice video.
OMG. Just the problem I am having with lettuce seedlings. Your video is a great help. Cant wait to try the hints and tips you gave. Thank you. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Oh gosh, I didn't know this was a thing! I was wondering why some of my seedlings looked so tall and limpy lol. I don't really know what they're supposed to look like. It appears some might be saved but some might be lost I will do better next time!
Lindsay Pearn-Sinkins Well you have 2 plants.. that’s good! Might as well give growing more a shot ;) What do you have to lose right? Good luck. Grow lots of potatoes! :)
@@TamraDL lol right!! Haha thank girl!! I hope your garden turns out lovely!! :) I actually have tones of peppers growing.. Those all died on me last year 😆
First thing I did was take off the dome and remove the heating matt from my spindly geranium seedlings. Will try to save them using your instructions--thank you!
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm We started early. Our kids needed something to do during all of this. My problem is a lot of what I'm learning doesn't work in Alaska. It's still fun for them though.
@@E75-w9v Yes. As a member of the brassica family, cauliflower is particularly sensitive to high temperatures. Cooler is much, much better - so get them outside (at least during the daytimes if temps are above freezing)
this for folks just started growing tomatoes if you buy some large plants and they develop suckers take them off make a hole with a stick plant the sucker 2 3ins deep in soil wet about ten days you can tell its growing ----new free plant dont have to buy so many
Much needed video Second time I'm studying/watching this video. All the details you go into are answers to questions I've had during this important gardening step.
this was such a helpful video. As a first time gardener starting from seed, all my seedlings are leggy.... *sigh* but I have turned on more lights and increased air flow and hopefully I will be able to rescue them. Thankfully it's still early in the season to replant if I need to. Also, I LOVE your location! Beautiful views out your window!
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm I have started (indoors) tomatoes, bell peppers, mixed greens, onion, and soon potatoes are going to go in a ruth stout hay bed.
I tried but they were too far gone. I tried to bury them deeper and they kept getting taller then wilted a few days later. Back to the drawing board. My bell peppers, strawberries, and salad greens are doing well. Also, I'm trying to root my flowers from valentines day and so far I have leaves and even a bud on one of them!
I started Cosmos in Dec. a bit early. I have a sun porch on Fl & thought I had enough sun. I had many rainy & gloomy days. My seedlings popped up & grew like Jacks beanstalk. But long & lanky & falling over. I planted them deep in plastic drinking cups & started taking them outside now that the days are sunny again. They seem To be doing fine. I ordered them & they are fancy varieties. I have no grow light so hope the days keep being sunny. I gave them a bit of fertilizer today. So hopefully they are good. Thanks for this video, I needed it.
thank you. I will have to try this as i goofed after they sprouted and kept them in the dark. I thought not to put them near a window because they would stretch up at that point and become leggy. I have started putting them under grow lights and given them the breeze but have not yet fed them so I'll add that step and take them down into my screen porch which is cooler and gets more light. I don't know if they will make it but you have given me tips to try. very thankful for your videos. i have watched many
Once my plants get about a inch or 2 tall I will take them out of the seedling dome and start hitting it pretty good with a fan 24/7 I like to actually see a lot more movement than what you did in this video. Since I been doing this I have been able to take my plants and just plant them outside and I really do not get any shock from my plants even though I do not do the hardening off stage outside.
Oh my gosh, thank you for the "one stop" video of answers, with before and after results! "How to" is easy... it's the what and the why's that determines success or failure. Now I feel like I know what to look for and how to mitigate or fix. Thank you again (and again and again...)♡
Thank you so much! This year was is my first year doing seed trays. I thought I didn't plant the seemed deep enough. I had my seeds under a grow light inside my house. Now, I have moved them to the garage with a small lamp. I will see if it turns things around for me.
I seem to make this mistake with some of my plants each year . I am over eager, and go into a seed sprouting frenzy. Then panic when sprouts become spindly. My 1st years of gardening i was so prod that my seedlings got so tall, thought i was doing a great job only to have them drop dead weeks later.
I've had this experience, too! And then when I thin them, I select for the tallest as if that's the strongest one and pluck out the other and then wonder why the plant falls over when it starts getting its first set of real leaves. This is all new to me. It's my second year trying to start plants from seed and there's just so much to learn.
Me too. Daft though. But one bringing them to growth only to destroy them, doesn't seem right. So I only plant a few for personal use and if they don't germinate or grow well then I can do without that year, or get store bought.
It's funny that you had to work at getting your seedlings to look as miserable as mine normally do! Thank you for this video, caught my seedlings just in time for this gardening season!
ha ha, yes that made me chuckle as well....
😂😂😂
Oh god... I was so proud of myself that they were growing... badly apparently... 😭
Right? Oh look! They're sprouting! Oh look! They're dead!
Same! 🤣
Lol. :'0
We’ve all done it. 🥰 I hope this year goes well for you!
Hahaha. Same
"A week of determined neglect" - or a week in my house apparently. Great video.
lol. Thanks John
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Do you have any "Lux" recommendations for seedling lighting intensity? So much conflicting info out there. Im starting these guys in the house. First year starting from seeds. Trying to get a good start !
Ha exactly what I was thinking but I've got what I thought was an ample light source. Going to try and save these little guys. Thanks for the video!
haha! a week in my house too!
As long as it is a plant and not a weed, I can kill it.
I've heard so many gardeners say NOT to fertilize until first TRUE leaves. In my experiences the seeds sprouted in potting mix (with added fertilizer) did WAY better than those in seed mixture (with no fertilizer). I'm so glad I came across this video 😀.
Me too. I did not have great success with seed mix but did well with sifted potting mix or homemade compost.
You can also add a little bit of hydroponic solution to the seed mixture (or pure coco coir).
In my experience this worked the best.
Thanks so much for the video. I just found your channel and I often wondered about stretchy plants. I had some this winter in the house. I hope they’re gonna make it, but that was a very good video.
Thanks for the comment. I just started doing this, so I guess I’ll stick with that approach.
I have to admit that I am just amazed and grateful when my seeds grow at all, nevermind leggy! Nature is a wonderful manager!
I agree!!
A special trait with tomatoes is that the "hairs" on the stem actually are roots. If you have a leggy tomato plant, just plant it deeper or lay the stem sideways and then gently stake the top into a normal position. The buried stem roots itself quickly.
Hola! No es exactamente así. Los pelos son pelos y nada mas, no son raices. A veces cuando la planta está muy alta o le faltan nutrientes comienza a desarrollar raices visibles en el tallo y tienen aspecto de pequeñas verrugas blanquecinas en el tallo.
can you do this with peppers also
The hairs also will catch and consume insects. Bet you didn't know that tomatoes can be carnivorous plants.
You can do that bury trick with practically anny plant ;)
Roots can form from all the wood/soft tissue stems.
Glad I finally saw this comment. I’ve never worried about leggy tomato seedlings, when I transplant, I always just burry them up to that seedling leaf set and have never had any issue. Peppers are the same way.
Not sure if that works for all plants, but the majority of them that I plant in my garden don’t mind being buried a little deeper so they aren’t as floppy.
An award-winning tomato grower in southern Oregon laid his long stems horizontally under the soil to promote more root growth. I planted close to the South Wall of the house and had 8' h. x 4ft dia. plants. Delicious. Thank you for the tips
I'm glad you added in the last part about planting it deeper. I was taught to do this on every tomato plant. I usually do it three times per plant. Cut off the bottom branch, bury to almost the top of the plant in a pot. Transplant into the ground with the same process, cut bottom branch, bury to almost the top. A couple of weeks later, cut bottom branch once again and pull dirt up to the plant. I end up with a tomato bush that needs no cage or support that's covered with tomatoes...... Great video my friend. Seedlings look really good and you have a nice setup!
Going to do that this weekend thanks!
Second this! Can't remember for the life of me where I learnt this tip, but I've done it with every tomato plant and I've always had the same results as you!
Great idea! I might give that a swing!
Me too! I could have saved the seedlings he threw out by just planting them up to their little leaves. Actually, I could have taken his thinned seedlings, shoved them in dirt to their leaves and they would grown more roots. Tomatoes are weeds albeit lovely weeds that grow delicious fruit.
What do you mean by “cut off the bottom branch?” Are you just removing leaves/stems off the main stem and planting it deeper? Cutting off a branch and burying that?
Definitely one of the best seedling troubleshooting videos I've seen. This is my first year growing my vegetable garden from seed, and I was looking for videos on when to take off my humidity dome. Now I know that and more! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
MI Gardener ( On UA-cam) has some super helpful ones as well !
Same for me! This is my first time growing herbs from seed. I wasn't sure when to remove my dome and didn't even know that my stretched seedlings were *not* what they were meant to look like. I'm going to try some of these techniques from the video to save them. Very happy to have found this video!
This video saved my seedlings last year and I am rewatching it this year again and hopefully won't mess the seedlings up from the start again. Thank you for this video!
Thanks Martina - that warms my heart!
It's actually a good idea to plant seedlings as deep as possible so more roots will grow from where leaves are located. It will make your tomatoes strong. Grew up in the country and my family grew 80% of our food. If tomatoes are too tall, we would plant them a little bit slanted and they always grew very well. Also, you can make seedlings from new tomato shoots. Just plant them deep and water regularly and you will have more tomato plants.
MashaLifeVlog while that’s a good idea for plants like tomatoes, not all have the ability to root from the stem like tomatoes, it kind of depends
Certainly. I meant tomato seedlings in my comment.
I actually saw a video where they planted leggy ones in a trench and covered up to the leaves and they grew great
You can cut 100 tomato plants from one plant... stick in a cup of water 4 at a time
You don't even have to plant the suckers to grow tomatoes from them, it is enough to stick them in a bucket of water with some nutrient and they will develop into autonomous tomato plants. Aside from the novelty, this is a pretty cheap and low-effort way to increase your yields (slightly), especially if you don't have a lot of space.
Oh man I did everything wrong! Thank you so much :) I'll try to salvage my poor plants with your tips. Your insights will give me extra-beautiful plants next year!!
I never knew the temp should be lowered once germinated! Also the feeding is important and most tutorials don't mention that. One tip about thinning - snip the extra with a small scissors rather than pulling out the extra one by the root - that way you don't disturb the root of the keeper :) Thanks! I just discovered you
Thank you. Sometimes I let (bad) habits guide my fingers!
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm No thank YOU! I've put your methods into practice and can tell a difference already in one day on my 5 day old seedlings :)
Very informative and useful info
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm With tomatoes, spindly seedlings are not a big problem. I bury the plants to the neck anyways when I plant them out. Tomatoes have tiny hairs on their stems that grow into roots. Edit: Ok, you knew that. But you can still bury them deeper than you did in the video.
Peppers otoh are far more difficult. They need a lot of light and the temperature needs to be higher than with other vegetable seedlings.
Most importantly: Once something has grown, you cannot push it back together.
Just watched a video from MIGARDENER where he lets the seedlings mature a bit more (2 sets of true leaves) and have more visible "hairs" on the stem. Then, he simply snips the weaker seedling at dirt level, and replants it WITHOUT ROOTS right up to the cotyledons and they end up growing roots and surviving! Amazing!
We have had this issue several times & never knew what we were doing wrong or how to save the seedlings. Thank you so much!
Thank you for this video! After watching dozens of hours of gardening videos and going through articles this one is hands down one of the most helpful videos I have come across. Like many others have commented, this is what most of my seedlings look like :D Now to the rescue, maybe I can still salvage some of them :)
ah im kind of sad, i was so proud of my tall seedlings! ill definitely refer to this video in an attempt to save them, thank you so much!
Best of luck!
If they are tomatoes or other nightshade varieties, pepper, eggplant, etc. I’ve never worried if they get a little leggy.
Just bury them up to the seed leaves, and they do fine. Anything below the seed leaves can turn into roots if they are buried.
I’ve even had success doing this with other plant varieties and had no issue with them either.
I’m sure there are some plants you need to worry about getting leggy, but I haven’t run across any yet in my 8 years of gardening.
This is my 2nd year to attempt growing some food and most of my tomato seedlings were pretty leggy. I got most of them to recover well enough to transplant, which I did a few days ago. I had to bury them pretty deep and I wouldn't have known to do that if it weren't for this video.
Wow. This is the first video I have found that addresses this issue and shows how to fix it! Thank you! This has given me new hope!👍🏼
Hi Erin. Thanks, and good luck with your seedlings!
Thank you for mentioning the bit about airing them out instead of leaving them in humidity. And not having heavy air on them. I think I've made just about every mistake in the book. Don't know how I missed this advice on so many other videos. Indoors takes a lot more work than allowing nature to do it. I noticed you even have to acclimate them to outdoor conditions. Thanks for the details. This has given me the confidence to try growing again.
This video was so helpful and really did answer ALL my questions about why my seedlings are leggy and growing poorly.
As long as your seedlings are still nice and "bendy" you can lay the root plug horizontally right at the bottom of the pot and bend the stem in a U shape so that only the crown and leaves are sticking out of the soil. No need for tall pots! I've even potted rootplugs upside down as long as the stem does not break no problems!
I am learning so much from so many farmers (large farms or small homestead family gardeners) and this video kindof incapsulates all I've learned and since done. I had cabbages with this issue and had to thin them out, then took the smaller ones I've removed that still had good roots and I planted them in their own cell. A little organic plant food, and light, and they bounced right back. Did the same with Broccoli. It's exciting!
Absolutely perfect presentation, clear, no stuffing around, and the explanations were perfect…thank you!!
This is the best video I have watched on leggy seedlings. Some say they are to far from the light, some say to close. Dont out them under light until taller. Very conflicting info, Thank you!
Thanks Kate. I appreciate the encouragement
Tomato seedlings will get spindly because they grow towards the light. I used to grow them in the basement, and hang a grow light on strings and lower it right over the tray. Raise the light as they grew. The tomato plants grow with nice thick stems.
Thanks for sharing your experience Luke.
Can the basement be cold? I mean a grow light for 14-18 hours and the lights off temperature around 50-60?
Yep, tomatoes and cannabis grow similarly...
@@Shonuffinman We have tomatoes going in our basement right now and it is freezing to me down there. Our grow light stays on for 12 hours, and I blacked out the windows to keep it dark in the area that they are. They're doing great.
@@yolandapierce4258 Thanks and God bless.
Straight 2 the point No Bs filled 20min video for 4mins of info!!!
THANK U
Thank you! You just saved half my garden I didn't understand what I was doing wrong. It's my first time gardening and this helped me a lot!
You're so welcome - and I'm happy to see you taking up the hobby
Thank you for this! I’m one week in and have leggy seedlings. I was about to start over with new seeds but this gives me confidence to keep these guys going!
Almost give up, but after watching your vid its gave me a new energy to save them😊
Ah this video is really exactly what I needed. I don't learn from people telling me what to do. I need a video of what CAN go wrong (because let's face it, novice gardeners do more things wrong than right) and how to break those brown thumb habits. I just took my dome off my poor little chamomile seedlings. Thanks so much =)
Well I'm doing most things wrong 😅Definitely a very helpful video!
I realised, me too..! 😂😆
@@inaayatsingh8794 9
Me too!!
@@leighannirish4743 Same here!
Rotflol! Me TOO!
I'm doing this TODAY! I had one shop light with 2 daylight bulbs over them, but I just added another one beside it. Wasn't sure if that alone would help - then found your video & feel like now I have a better chance to reign them in. THANK YOU!!!
Mirrors or aluminum foil can help reflect more light onto them too.
I didn’t even know I had a problem until I accidentally spied your video below! Going to try your techniques tomorrow. Thank you in advance!!! You saved us from impending tomato plant doom, grief, and disappointment!
🌱🍅👍😁🙏🏼🍅🌱
Best luck Amber!
I watched your video the first week I started growing my seedlings. And I had to come back now that they're beginning to stretch a bit more. Thank you so much!
What an absolutely awesome video! I've had leggy seeds a lot and just babied them and end up planting them. Your out come is far better. I will be doing that next year for sure. But what really, really, want to see more of is those other seedlings you passed by so quickly; they were short and already had true leaves! I've never been able to get my seedlings to grow so well and don't even think I've seen any others on You Tube that looked so great. I'll search your other videos and probably find it!
Airflow strengthens the stem. The seedling feels it starts to tip over and it’s stem straightens up.
Someone had mentioned that you can 'hand-brush' the seedlings in opposite directions few times a day to strengthen their growing stems.
Echoing everyone else's comments, thank you soooo much for this video!!! First timer with seedlings here, so this fully explains what is happening with my seedlings. I will attempt to get them healthy with your tips. It's been 2 weeks, and I still have the seedling leaves on them. Mine are in peat pots, so I may consider transplanting them deeper into cups or containers this weekend. Thank you again!
My pleasure Victoria. Best luck with your growing season
I would try and avoid the peat pots! I'm learning too and all of the Gardners say peat pots will often kill your plants. I had gotten some too!
Well, this was very educational for me. Feeding, proper use of the heat mat, introduction of a fan and the right amount of light. Thanks.
My pleasure
Thank you for giving me the answer I’ve been looking for. No one else tell you that once they have come out to remove the dome and lower temperatures! It didn’t seem right to me to leave them in such a humid wet environment. I can’t thank you enough, you save all my seedlings.
My pleasure Vanessa. I hope your seedlings come out okay.
Oh my gosh, me too!! I somehow blindly did the correct steps and saved my baby tomatoes seedlings, if I could post pictures I would show you. the greenhouses we set up one I ordered from Amazon and the 2nd one my boyfriend made out of his old popup fishing shanty, lol it's a site but it's working 💚🌱
Very very helpful information. I now totally understand why my plants are leggy and hopefully can restart and fix this. Thank you !!!
I once was an expert at growing those long leggy seedlings that eventually fell over died.
Was very frustrating, im finally learning.
Awesome video, thanks
Thank you ! Most helpful, i had stretched seedlings, i piled a little soil around each base of stem, maybe 3/4 inch high and they recovered. Tnx for affirming that the plant will make roots where the stem got buried. 👍🏼☝️🙏🙌
Very helpful, thank you! It's my first year and this video it's a play by play as to what happened to my seedlings, the only difference is I accidentally saved mine. Now I'm in the true leaf stage and you sir have given me hope :)
What a timely article. I had this exact thing happened to me two days ago because it was too warm in the house. So I took them out to the grow room with a bright grow light where it’s cooler and they are working really well with a fan gently flowing these new sprouts and I will give them some weak food tomorrow.
And the tip about the tomatoes is excellent. I guess it’s that time of the year when people are trying to start their garden.
Trick with such leggy tomatoe seedlings. Plant the long stem a little deeper. Down to the first leaves. We will get extra roots! The plant will be stronger.
You didn't finish watching the video, did you ...
@@williampotter2098 That's right. Wrote my comment before the end of this Video..Sorry.
I’ve attempted to rescue tomato seedlings on a flat tray like that by cutting an inch or so length of paper towel cardboard tubing and adding soil right on top of the flat to the “neck” of the leaves. It does work until you can transplant them. Good if two adjacent seedlings are at different heights too.
@@bjornmundt5801 No worries. I've done that ...
Yup..!
Wish I could give two thumbs up. One for your video, one for all those poor seedlings out there suffered week long determined neglect, intentional or not, and survived
If you thin them by snipping with scissors, you dont disturb the roots of the remaining plant.
I watched so many germination videos and yours is where i learned what's wrong with my seedlings. My seeds have looonnggg stems and the seed head hasn't opened up to cotyledon 😢
This has always been my problem living in Florida. You are the first person I’ve seen address this issue. Thank god for UA-cam’s algorithm!! Thank you!!
Oh my goodness I’m so glad I found you. I’m a beginner and all my seeds have done this. I’m so relieved that there is a remedy. A big thank you
My pleasure Karin!
Just started growing and this was good information thank you didn't know i had to lower temperature after seedlings start
Cant like this video enough! Presented clearly and to the point. Thanks for the info!! Imma go save my plants now.
The view from your window is stunning! You are so lucky! 🌄
Great info. Thank you so much. I start my seeds outside as soon as it’s warm enough and had a bumper crop of tomatoes and tomato plants. Gave a lot away.
Thank you! You literally saved my seedlings. I tried more heat, more water, leaving the clear plastic hood on longer... I was doing everything for germination, not for growth. The TL:DR... heat and humidity for germination, then remove heat/lid and increase light and air flow. THANK YOU so much, it was so hard to find a good clear concise video on this.
How often should I water my seedlings?
My pleasure. Happy to hear your seedlings are improving!
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm The person asked you a question & you gave a canned reply. If you want to appear as if you care about your viewership, you probably should actually answer his or her question.
Maybe it was an oversight caused by you skimming too many comments or maybe you got interrupted while you were replying. Whatever, happens to all of us.
But it would be nice if you attempted to answer the viewer's query, even if it is to say watering varies on the particular crop being watered & the age of the now germinated seedlings.
Peace
@@dewfie6620 Thanks - you're bang on, I do try to reply to everyone, but it looks like I read through too quickly and missed the question at the end.
Missed your question, sorry. It depends on the size of the pot and how far along the plants are. For the plug trays I used in this video, I need to water every day. If the plants are comparatively large, or it's a warm day, I may even have to water twice. A larger cell or pot holds more water, so you can get away with fewer waterings.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you for the response. What are your thoughts of putting water in the trays underneath and letting the roots drink up from the tray?
You are a very smart man. All the material is specific information without unnecessary prolongation. I admire you very much and thank you.
thank you for sharing this video. I was able to rescue my tomatillo seedlings
Nicely done!
I can NEVER grow tomatillos!!!
@@rachelpatterson1616 I tried last year, got lots of blooms, but never developed any tomatillos inside the pretty shaped bell flower. I then later realized I only planted 1 plant and they need 2 to cross pollinate. Sigh....good luck!!!
Hi Jason! My experience on seedlings I’m sad to admit I
fear is a real failure. The flower seedlings all came through ok but they keep prospering so weak and listless it’s disappointing all because I simply didn’t know enough to start on the first place. Luckily your video has put me on trying to save some, they are all flowers I love.
O well, mistakes are a good lessons but it saddens me.
I won’t give up!
Thank you, you’re so kind sharing.
Thank you for your clear, concise, and expert explanation in terms I can easily understand. NOW I finally get it! And you gained me as a subscriber...
I rotate my trays daily towards the sun daily. It strengthens the the stem on all sides. I love in warm, moist, humid, sunny Florida which can dry out a seedling in a heartbeat.
Hello, i have grown tomatoes in a greenhouse for many years and my grandfather was my teacher. Some very good advice in this video. But did anyone else notice the poor bug swimming for its life at 4.50. Regards Chris.
christopher ckarkson
😂😂😂😂 🐜
I didn't know…take the tray off heat mat once they sprouted and growing, lower temp, air movement and fertilize…no wonder my seeds were always a disaster.
This video was a master class in seed starting, thank you.
Both windows you opened show signs the spacer has moved and the seal is broken. If your home is new enough you should see if they are under warranty.
Thank you!
Sharp obeservation wow. :))
Wow! You are very observant!
That's neat!😊
Lol
Even though I know this stuff, I'm not a professional and I like an annual review from someone who really knows. Thank you.
you can also just trans plant them to a bigger pot and put soil close to the top of the plant they will grow roots where they were leggy at and auto correct when put outdoors
That's what I do also; waste nothing.
Does that work with everything or just tomatoes?
@@fainitesbarley2245 I think a lot of monocots have adventitious roots. Obviously this works with tomatoes, but I wouldn't try this with other dicots without researching.
It does not work with any plant. For Tomatoes and cukes it does. Peppers again, no.
I do it every year.
I love scientific methods, biological systems, and little things. Your video is all that and more. Great job.
had that leggy problem with my tomatoes so started using plastic drink cups with abour 2 inches of soil placed the seeds wnen they git up about 2 inchs i added some soil so they were sticking out i keep doing this till cup is full then they are strong enough to plant weather permitting arond good fri .
Gonna try this, thanks!
Great video... really impressive use of vocabulary which made the topic easy to understand... you would've been a great school teacher.. 👏
Very helpful video. This one is a "must share". I know several people this will help. Thank you!
As a older hippie smoking from 70s on ,I'm so intrigued by the generation looking so in depth to the science of this wonderful plant.
Grow lights and an oscillating fan on low will prevent leggings in the first place and cause seedlings to have strong thick stems.
Thanks Ramona!
Hi Ramona, I have been using a fan and grow light and they are in a south window in my little greenhouse. Should i keep the fan on all day and overnight, or just a few hours a day? Thanks!
Ha ha. Too many cookies prevents leggings. An oscillating fan for a few hours a day prevents legginess.
Should I use the oscillation fan before they germinated, or just as soon as they come out of the ground?
Is it okay to have multiple different vegetables seeds in a seed starter tray
Very informative and helpful. I also take the thinned-out seedling and plant it in another cup or small container. This works well with peppers and tomatoes.
It would appear that I leave them in germination conditions too long after the seeds have sprouted.
Hopefully, with your instructions I will need to save less seedlings and start producing stronger ones. 💪
Right! Good advice from you as usual. Last year I buried my tomato plants in deep (8 inch) pots and I've never had such strong plants. Afterwards I planted them with the roots horizontal, bending up the stem to the trainer.
I start my seeds in a tray of moist paper towels. As the seeds grow and get leggy, I just gently add soil around them. I add a bit more soil as they continue growing strong stems.
Is it working when u add soil?
Has the plant grown and producing fruits?
Great lesson. Reminds me that plants move minerals through themselves through evaporation out of their leaves... If you leave them in stagnant air (along with warmth and a lack of light )they stretch as if they were still under damp soil and are so weak.
If those leaves hit dry (er) air and light after they germinate they stay much shorter.
This video helped me save 3 of my cannabis plants!
IKR....lol same
Where you live lol (:
woger ratters e town bitch
did you bury the seedling deeper to fix? thats what im thinking of doing
Hi! I live in a cold climate with a short growing season. I get leggy plants a lot because the days are short far longer. I find tomatoes to be hardy as long as one chooses the variety suited to the climate. Even grocery store tomatoes do well, as long as they come from your state or province.
Another amazing feature with tomatoes is you can cover those legs! Add a little soil where the stem is purplish (the base) and tomatoes will root from there making a sturdier plant over time. I'm terrible with fertilizers, so I use basic compost/ soil and it seems to be enough. Finally, I can't put mine out in the garden until June/last frost! I wish we could share photos. Thanks for a nice video.
Thanks - wow, June for last frost! I credit you for perseverance.
You sir have saved my seedlings. Thank you kindly.
OMG. Just the problem I am having with lettuce seedlings. Your video is a great help. Cant wait to try the hints and tips you gave. Thank you. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Oh gosh, I didn't know this was a thing! I was wondering why some of my seedlings looked so tall and limpy lol. I don't really know what they're supposed to look like. It appears some might be saved but some might be lost I will do better next time!
Pretty sure I only have 2 tomatoes to be saved 😭 LOL
Lindsay Pearn-Sinkins OH noooo lol .. try again girl .. I had to also 😭😂
@@TamraDL I'm currently freaking out debating if its too late now?! But I think its worth a shot! Hahaha oh dear...
Lindsay Pearn-Sinkins
Well you have 2 plants.. that’s good! Might as well give growing more a shot ;) What do you have to lose right? Good luck. Grow lots of potatoes! :)
@@TamraDL lol right!! Haha thank girl!! I hope your garden turns out lovely!! :) I actually have tones of peppers growing.. Those all died on me last year 😆
First thing I did was take off the dome and remove the heating matt from my spindly geranium seedlings. Will try to save them using your instructions--thank you!
This is first time starting plants of any kind. I'm messing everything up, lol.
Don't be discouraged tho - it's great to make mistakes. It means you're trying new things. It's just a matter of learning from them.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm We started early. Our kids needed something to do during all of this. My problem is a lot of what I'm learning doesn't work in Alaska. It's still fun for them though.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Would you apply the same tricks to stretched cauliflower? Thanks for the helpful video!
@@E75-w9v Yes. As a member of the brassica family, cauliflower is particularly sensitive to high temperatures. Cooler is much, much better - so get them outside (at least during the daytimes if temps are above freezing)
Same 😩 I'm messing everything up too
Great very informative video. Thanks for investing weeks into preparing the seedlings in different stages.
this for folks just started growing tomatoes if you buy some large plants and they develop suckers take them off make a hole with a stick plant the sucker 2 3ins deep in soil wet about ten days you can tell its growing ----new free plant dont have to buy so many
Much needed video
Second time I'm studying/watching this video.
All the details you go into are answers to questions I've had during this important gardening step.
Glad to help Victoria!
this was such a helpful video. As a first time gardener starting from seed, all my seedlings are leggy.... *sigh* but I have turned on more lights and increased air flow and hopefully I will be able to rescue them. Thankfully it's still early in the season to replant if I need to. Also, I LOVE your location! Beautiful views out your window!
Thanks Tiffanie - and best luck with your seedlings. What are you growing this year?
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm I have started (indoors) tomatoes, bell peppers, mixed greens, onion, and soon potatoes are going to go in a ruth stout hay bed.
Hey Tiffanie, Checkin in, how are they this week?
I tried but they were too far gone. I tried to bury them deeper and they kept getting taller then wilted a few days later. Back to the drawing board. My bell peppers, strawberries, and salad greens are doing well. Also, I'm trying to root my flowers from valentines day and so far I have leaves and even a bud on one of them!
@@randomchick643 I tried straight planting a few, and stuck a stem in a potato. So far the potted ones are struggling but are surviving. Lol
I started Cosmos in Dec. a bit early. I have a sun porch on Fl & thought I had enough sun.
I had many rainy & gloomy days. My seedlings popped up & grew like Jacks beanstalk. But long & lanky & falling over.
I planted them deep in plastic drinking cups & started taking them outside now that the days are sunny again. They seem
To be doing fine. I ordered them & they are fancy varieties. I have no grow light so hope the days keep being sunny. I gave them a bit of fertilizer today. So hopefully they are good. Thanks for this video, I needed it.
This REALLY helped me as a beginner! Thank you!
thank you. I will have to try this as i goofed after they sprouted and kept them in the dark. I thought not to put them near a window because they would stretch up at that point and become leggy. I have started putting them under grow lights and given them the breeze but have not yet fed them so I'll add that step and take them down into my screen porch which is cooler and gets more light. I don't know if they will make it but you have given me tips to try. very thankful for your videos. i have watched many
Amazing work Jason. I don't plan to grow tomatoes but I am sure it applies to most everything. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire video
Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Your seedlings hardly looked struggling even after a week of undesirable conditions, but still helpful. Thanks
Once my plants get about a inch or 2 tall I will take them out of the seedling dome and start hitting it pretty good with a fan 24/7 I like to actually see a lot more movement than what you did in this video. Since I been doing this I have been able to take my plants and just plant them outside and I really do not get any shock from my plants even though I do not do the hardening off stage outside.
Thanks! Good to know I can go with a little more air movement
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm it will slow the vertical growth of your plants though, but they are soooooo much stronger.
Oh my gosh, thank you for the "one stop" video of answers, with before and after results!
"How to" is easy... it's the what and the why's that determines success or failure.
Now I feel like I know what to look for and how to mitigate or fix.
Thank you again (and again and again...)♡
This is all true... he knows his stuff! Dropping some knowledge this one.
Thank you so much! This year was is my first year doing seed trays. I thought I didn't plant the seemed deep enough. I had my seeds under a grow light inside my house. Now, I have moved them to the garage with a small lamp. I will see if it turns things around for me.
I seem to make this mistake with some of my plants each year . I am over eager, and go into a seed sprouting frenzy. Then panic when sprouts become spindly. My 1st years of gardening i was so prod that my seedlings got so tall, thought i was doing a great job only to have them drop dead weeks later.
I've had this experience, too! And then when I thin them, I select for the tallest as if that's the strongest one and pluck out the other and then wonder why the plant falls over when it starts getting its first set of real leaves. This is all new to me. It's my second year trying to start plants from seed and there's just so much to learn.
WOW! incredibly useful! Thanks so much! The propagator lid is off, heat pad is off and the little guys are now on the windowsill!
I feel guilty thinning them :(
I do, too! :(
Give the extras to family, friends, neighbors, strangers :)
It was Necessary Evil.
Thin a few or lose them all. Clear answer for that.
Don’t thin them and you will feel guilty for growing crappy plants
Me too. Daft though. But one bringing them to growth only to destroy them, doesn't seem right. So I only plant a few for personal use and if they don't germinate or grow well then I can do without that year, or get store bought.
Really good advice to repair seedlings that have gotten away from me. Thanks!