Help with starting flowers indoors

[Sublime440]

I am new to the forum and this is the first time I attempted starting my flowers indoors. I bought several "Jiffy Greenhouses" to get a start on the spring/summer here in TN. Everything went well initially, but now, many of my seedlings are growing long and slender as the best I can describe it. Think of when you normally see the initial leaves on a new sprout but with very long stalks. I am growing several varieties, too many to list at the moment, and almost all of them seem to be doing this. I've been careful to keep them out of direct sunlight and have kept them moist. I am not a professional and adding lighting is out of the question given the room I have available.

I'm not sure why they're coming up that way or what I can do to correct them, or if it's too late and just need to start over while it's still early. Many of them seem to have grown to a certain size and then stopped, some of which look like they're starting to thin. I'm not sure what other information to give at the moment but this is generally what's going on with most of the seeds I've started. Any help or advice is appreciated.

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum! When they get long and thin it usually means they are searching for light. You can get growing lamps fairly cheaply, would that be an option?

 

[Nancy]

Becky is correct, they need more light! I hang a simple shoplight fixture with normal fluorescent bulbs over my seedlings. If you get extra light over your plants soon, they should be able recover. Go ahead and leave the light on them 24/7. It won't hurt and will give the plants the extra light they need to catch up on what they have missed.

 

[john5460]

Hi Subline440
If you don't want to use grow lights get a card board box cut one of the long sides so your tray will fit. Cover the four sides with aluminium foil have the glosses side showing and the bottom to keep it dry when you water the seedlings. Place the the box in front of the window the light will bounce back onto the seedlings. This will stop them from growing towards the light. If your seedling in pots give them half turn each day with seed tray turn the tray round every day. Hope this helps.

 

[Kansas Terri]

For starting my seedlings this year I found a shop light in the garage. It is working for MOST of my seedlings, but the salad greens are STILL long and spindly!

It can be pretty tricky to get the light right for seedlings. Long and spindly seedlings usually means they need more light. If I were you, I would gets some cheap second hand lights, set them up so the light was just a few inches from the plants, and leave them on all day and all night! I am not an expert either, but I did that one year before a short trip and when I got back my seedlings were MUCH better!

 

[Sheal]

Welcome Sublime440.

At this time of year the light is poor and most seeds are better started from mid March onwards. As has been said they are reaching for light which is why they have become leggy. Some seedlings can be planted deeper when they are potted on and thrive, perhaps you would like to try this. As the light improves seedlings will slow down in growth and become stronger healthier young plants.

 

[Sublime440]

Thanks for all of the help. I live in hilly middle TN and my house is on the north side of the hill, so finding sunlight is a challenge since I have all of these containers in my dining room facing the north...I thought ambient lighting would be enough, but I thought wrong. At first I thought maybe I didn't plant the seeds deep enough and that's why they were growing so long as compared to when I direct sow outside. I didn't think of the lighting issue.

I cleared out my kitchen table which faces the south french doors and put my containers on there for now hoping that provides enough light. I'm going to put them outside before I go to work tomorrow and bring them in when I get home (70's all week here) and hope that helps.

Thanks again

 

[Sheal]

If 70F is your average day time temperature at the moment @Sublime440, what would be your overnight average please?

 

[Sublime440]

If 70F is your average day time temperature at the moment @Sublime440, what would be your overnight average please?

I really haven't paid attention. I've been bringing them in at night out of habit. What is the lowest recommended temperature I can leave my seedlings outside overnight without worrying?

I did recently get a new office at work and have a really nice south facing window. I got to work really early and brought in several of my trays. I put them on my south facing window sill and then over to my old (vacant) office and put them a few inches under the cabinet lights. I just hope the cleaning people don't come in at night and turn them off, or worse, rat me out...

 

[Sheal]

What is the lowest recommended temperature I can leave my seedlings outside overnight without worrying?

That's what I was thinking when I asked for your over night temperature.If they could be left outside in even light their growth would slow down and they'd become stronger plants.

Hmmm, but I hadnt thought about the answer to this one before. My seedlings go into a cold greenhouse eventually and if the temperature dips below 46F/8C overnight then I cover them with a bubble wrap tent. Excuse me while I try to think logically here. Grass seed germinates at 54F/12C but is slow to grow. To be on the safe side I would say 60F/15C but I wouldn't be surprised if we'd get away with a lower temperature than this. Of course late frosts have to be taken into consideration too.

Hang in there @Sublime440. I'll ask questions elsewhere this evening and get back to you.

 

[Sheal]

I've asked questions of some gardening friends and they believe 50F/10C is the minimum your young plants will be happy with outside assuming there's no frost. Perhaps you could leave one or two pots or trays outside for a couple of nights just to see how they cope.

 

[Sublime440]

I've asked questions of some gardening friends and they believe 50F/10C is the minimum your young plants will be happy with outside assuming there's no frost. Perhaps you could leave one or two pots or trays outside for a couple of nights just to see how they cope.

Thanks again.

I'm starting a new "crop" of my Jiffy greenhouses this week. I just got a little overly excited and started them too early (early Feb). Next year I'll be better prepared and I'll redeem myself by making sure this next batch gets the attention and care they deserve.