I recently got a question from a reader whose seedlings are getting too big for their pots, and it’s still too cold to plant them outside. She wrote,
Mavis, help! I planted my seeds too early. They are decent-sized now, but they are starting to look sickly. I want to get them into the ground, so they can spread out and grow, but the weather isn’t cooperating. What do I do?
Thanks!
Barbara
Let me just say, I have totally been there–like, every year. If you are like me, you started your seeds under grow lights months ago. At this point in the game, they have used up all the nutrients in their starter pots {which is why they may look sickly} and probably started to get bigger than their pot will allow.
It’s a super easy fix. Just re-pot them into larger pots indoors. Yes, you’ll have to find larger pots, and get more starter soil {though, at this point you can do half starter mix and half potting soil in the new pots}. Gently lift them out of their containers {you may notice they are root bound, so you may have to gently massage around the base of the plant to loosen the roots slightly} and place them in their new containers. Water them well and place them back under the lights.
If you are a fertilizing kind of gal, wait a couple of days and then give them a very diluted dose of fertilizer. With a little more space and food, they should perk right up. Plus, bonus–they should continue to grow over the next couple of weeks, giving you even larger starter plants.
I occasionally get ahead of Mother Nature and sometimes have to re-pot my seedlings 2-3 times. It makes me feel like spring/summer is coming earlier–even if it isn’t. Who knew gardening could be such a head-game?
Garden on!
~Mavis
Pat says
It also looks like maybe your lights are a little too high off your seedlings. I can’t really see where your light is so maybe I’m mistaken. They look pretty healthy!
Mari says
IF they get leggy, pot them into straight potting mix as it has the fertilizer and the correct nutrients already in it to enhance leaf growth.. IF you dd additional nutrients you will just encourage more leggy growth. Only plant one per pot and just give normal daylight hours, rather than constant light. Constant light forces the plants too much and they will go into shock when planted outside. That’s why so many plants you buy from retail places, take so long to pick up once planted. They are not hardened off to light or air. IF you can… put the plants out in the air by day, then take back into shelter over night until its safe to plant them outside.
Leslie says
I’m in the same boat this year. Repotting did a word of good for those tomatoes. The watermelon are super leggy. Do you think I can just plan them a little deeper?
Gwenn says
So….my pickling cuc’s didn’t get leggy they got FLOWERS in their little, square starter pots. I live in SE Michigan and I’m pretty sure it’s still too cold to plant them outside and my hoop house isn’t finished yet. Should I just put them in larger pots for now and start hardening them off? Should I leave the little flowers on them or pinch the little flowers off? It’s my first time starting seeds and obviously I started them a few weeks too early.
Phyllis says
To prevent seedlings from getting leggy, I made an enclosure of solid foam insulation sheets that have the foil lining on one side. It is just held together with foil duct tape…no construction skills necessary. The foil bounces the light around rather than letting it dissapate into the room. It helps a lot!
Do not plant cucumbers, melons, squash, tomatoes, and peppers outside until the soil is warm, at least 55 degrees and 60 is even better. They will slowly die if the soil and night time temps are too cold.