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What am I doing wrong?

PlantyPruPlantyPru Posts: 142
in Problem solving
They start off so well then they just start fading and withering away 😭 These are the second lot of seedlings as all of the first ones died. Any help please so I don't kill these ones too?

Posts

  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Hi @PlantyPru,

    I think they might be stretching to reach the light. When this happens they can end up getting too tall and keel over.
    Can you move them somewhere brighter?

    Bee x
    image
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Very etiolated, because they are not getting enough light.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • PlantyPruPlantyPru Posts: 142
    I've just moved them to the windowsill rather than the shelves they were on, will see how they go. Thank you both 
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    You've also got some fungal issues there. On balance seedlings seem to manage to beat these better if they are germinating once the warmer weather arrives (in my experience). Keep them well ventilated now and some may pull through. If not, I'd suggest trying to wash down the area and especially scrub the planting trays with hot soapy water, and then starting over using a new batch of freshly opened seed compost. Try not to let the seedlings get too cold or damp. 

    Since seeing a batch of tree seeds germinate and thrive when I was too lazy to remove the outer seed pod (largely because I thought they hadn't a chance of surviving), I am now wondering whether we ought to be trying to provide mycorrhizal additives to give the seedlings a head start before the pathogens get to them. It would be worth trying anyway... I intend to do this during the course of this year.

    As my sister says, at least when you are growing things from seed there is never a dull moment...
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