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How can I tell if a seedling is leggy?

TrantionTrantion Posts: 17
in Problem solving
I've started planting my seeds fairly early this year, although always within the planting time listed on the packet. I know there's a risk of them going leggy, but watching them grow did help me to get through January and February. There are a couple of the violets and lobelias that I can see are leggy because they're much taller and thinner than the others below the seed leaves, but I am a but curious about my sweet peas and to a lesser extent my tomatoes, which I planted in mid and early January respectively. The tomatoes look pretty much OK to me based on what I remember from last year - although they germinated far better and have left me with far more plants than I can keep(!) But I just don't know about the sweet peas. It's my first year growing them so I don't know what they should be like - and indeed how much it matters if they're going to climbing up supports anyway. They can still more or less stand up, although they do tend to lean against each other or the window.

Also, I'm planning to move them into a mini-greenhouse soon. Do I need to harden them off first, like I would if I was planting them out? Or just put them straight in as long as we don't get another cold spell?



Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    You normally pinch out the growing tips of sweet peas when they are about 4 ins tall so I would do that now. They are hardy enough to grow in a cold greenhouse.
    Think the tomato plants could do with potting up individually so you can turn the pots every day to keep them straight.
  • TrantionTrantion Posts: 17
    Thanks, I pinched out the growing tips after they formed 2 sets of leaves (again, what the pack said) and they're bushing out nicely. The heights weren't all the same but they were pretty close to 4 inches, so that's reassuring. I'm planning to move the tomatoes into their own pots once the greenhouse is set up so I have more space for them, whether that's inside the house still or if it turns out the greenhouse is warm enough
  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    In my impatience to start sowing (because there was little else to do in the garden), I have definitely have had leggy seedlings :/ However, I did find these videos quite helpful to solve the issue and get sturdier plants:

    As I have only a North-facing window contributing to the issue, I have since invested in some grow lights for the sowing season. Hopefully the next batch of seeds with perform better.
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