Basil seedlings blackened

[negan]

Hi all,

I was wondering what might have caused some of my previously happy-looking basil seedlings to dry out/blacken.
Was it too much sun, too little sun or too much moisture? Or perhaps I should have thinned them out earlier?

I've put them by the south-facing window with generous misting every two days.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Roots problem most likely. Those need potting on badly. The roots are bigger than you think or have provided room for, so once a plant feels it is running out of room for the feed tubes then it will truncate what grows up top and balance itself. Or you have created a too wet environment etc or damping off fungi are setting in, but it looks wet beyond moist... Temps too play a big role. " I have it in a south window" can mean it gets too cold at night as well as too hot during the day. A day which is the equinox btw so sunny hours are starting to bring a lot of infra red as the planet changes angle to the sun.

Anyway they are overcrowded and getting irritable like people in a rush hour subway. The little hairs on roots hate that and do not like being touched. They cannot do their job all jammed together. Put some soft tape on tweezers and tease them apart some as you pot on. Save what you can by doing it now.

 

[negan]

Thanks! Appreciate this!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Put some soft tape on tweezers and tease them apart some as you pot on.

I drop them on the surface so the earth breaks and they spread apart, then pick up, one each side, by the leaves. They usually fall apart easily. Pick up small plants by the leaves, roots are a bit tender, they only have one stalk, and leaves are the only part of a plant made to be replaced.