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Advice on Tithonia seedlings

mattmorgan1978mattmorgan1978 Posts: 8
in Problem solving
Hi, I’ve sown and germinated some Tithonia Red Torch successfully, but they’ve seemed to shoot to 4-5inches in height already and some seem to be unable to support themselves, they’ve been kept moist and in a very light window, and were uncovered from their heated propagator as soon as they germinated. They’re still in their first leaf stage too.
Will they come good?
Any advice where I might be going wrong? 

Posts

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I tried Tithonia because they are so beautiful but I failed. They germinated well in a propagator and then moved into my frost free greenhouse. I couldn't keep them warm enough. I suspect yours have enough heat but not enough light. Others may give better information, but I think they are very difficult to raise from seed in ordinary domestic circumstances.
  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    I’m growing them for the first time too. I started them off in a heated propagator with grow lights and have just pricked them out into 3 inch pots.  I buried them a little deeper as they were quite tall even under grow lights. I’ve turned off the bottom heat now and I’ll keep them under the lights until it warms up a bit outside. They can then go out into a seedling cloche that I have set up. Fingers crossed.
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    I’ve just been on Ben Higgledys web site and he grows a more compact variety called Tithonia rorundifolia ‘Fiesta del Sol’ about 75cm tall and flowers more abundantly. I’m growing ‘Torch’ which can get over 5feet tall. I might give that one a try next summer if I have no joy with these.
     
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • mattmorgan1978mattmorgan1978 Posts: 8
    I’ll try the pricking out and burying deeper technique soon, and I’ll nip out the top buds to encourage a bushier plant when it’s further on, but experience will be learned from this.
    thank you all
  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653
    edited April 2018
    I can't even get my 'Red Torch' to germinate on a windowsill above a hot radiator. I think we need less of the rain and more of the sun. 
  • mattmorgan1978mattmorgan1978 Posts: 8
    I’ve just put a small fan in front of my seedlings and given them a gentle brush with my hand, supposedly a ‘trick’ to get them to thicken up. Simulating a breeze.
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