Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Tom seedlings growing leggy

Mark.c91Mark.c91 Posts: 12
in Problem solving
Hi guys its that time of year again when i get out my little electric progator and sow my 20 tom seeds , however every year that i do this i end up with tall leggy seedlings that i have to keep burying...

I have my progator on a window sill and i presume there bolting for more light.

This year i came by some of the warm white strips of mains powered LED lights and i was going to try putting these in the cupboard and making my own grow cupboard however on further research this does not seem to be so simple as you need diffrent colors of like and also a certain amount of wattage for a certain area covered..

Can any one provide any advice or shed some light on this for me :-D
«13

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I wait until April to start my toms on the windowsill

    its hard to wait but I get better plants that way and there’s plenty of other things to grow at this time of year. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    I agree, you should wait. By sowing too early you're making problems for yourself.
    My windowsill toms are sown around the end of March.
  • Mark.c91Mark.c91 Posts: 12
    Yeah i like to start them now to get the out in the green house soon as possible , has anyone ever used grow lights before ? 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    There’s  not much point in that,  sow some more around mid March, no heat, they’ll be stronger plants, they wont ripen any sooner, you still need long warm days for flowering/fruiting.
    no need for propagators and lights, just wait for nature’s own and they’ll be fine. 
    Far to early to put out in the GH unless you’re heating, and then there’s no need for that, just wasting power. 

    I daresay loads of people have used propagators and lights, they’ll all be on here asking why they’re leggy. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    I've used a few grow lights. If you're trying to get Tomatoes growing early I'd leave them on the windowsill and supplement with something like this. Led is the way to go as they use less power and don't generate the heat others do. I use one of those lights in a north facing window and the plants do just fine. I used it last year to get chillis growing early. 
  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    I've also just bought these. I've had them over some cuttings for about a week and they look to be doing well - although it is too early to say for sure. It is worth noting though that I also had to buy a cable (99p) to link the 2 tubes together and they need wiring - either adding a cord and plug as I did or wiring into your lighting circuit.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I think we are just too old fashioned now Pansy, it’s the day of consumerism and instant gratification, no one wants to wait these days. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    @Lyn :) It’s just that the world is full of folk trying to sell us ‘stuff’ ... all of which uses energy, takes up space and makes other folk rich at our expense. 

    The idea of gardening putting us in touch with nature and aiding our understanding of the environment seems to have flown out the window  :/

    I’m all for keeping things simple  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    I sow tomato around the beginning of March normally on my birthday. I bought a LED grow light this year, it has red / blue light which I am sure is full spectrum for LED. I use it on my little propagator in a south facing windowsill, I turn it on for a few hours when it goes dark, I put a cardboard box on top of it because it lights the room up purple don't want the neighbours / others to think I am up to no good  ;)
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Dovefromabove said:
    @Lyn :) It’s just that the world is full of folk trying to sell us ‘stuff’ ... all of which uses energy, takes up space and makes other folk rich at our expense. 

    The idea of gardening putting us in touch with nature and aiding our understanding of the environment seems to have flown out the window  :/

    I’m all for keeping things simple  :)
    And then when it doesn’t work any better than waiting for Mother Nature, it can go in the landfill Or eventually in the ocean. 
    Putting us in touch with nature has gone out of the window and learning about weather patterns and seasons has gone with it.  We have never been in a better position growing wise than we’ve been this past few years , we should make use of it. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

Sign In or Register to comment.