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I need help with my seedlings, thrips

mimmikarlsson1oJz1_UnAmimmikarlsson1oJz1_UnA Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hi! Im Mimmi and I write from Stockholm, Sweden. Im kind of desperate :s  and Im reaching out for advice! The last 3 rounds of trying to cultivate seeds in my home  seem to get similar problems.

The seedlings leaves become a bit malformed and they also drop off eventually. The leaves also look damaged with patches of brownish colour and they grow tall and leggy. My suspicion is that they are under thrips-attack (I HAVE seen a bug or two which looked like thrips, but most of the time I cant see anything). I try to protect my newest small tomato seedlings by spraying them with a mix of water, neem oil and green soap.

Ive been thinking about environmental factors as well such as too little light (however I use led lights from like a "car store" so I think they are fine), overwatering, to hot temperature etc. Does someone recognize this? 

Im so glad if someone has some advice!  :)


Chilis, peppers and aubergine seedlings a couple of weeks ago... They really try to make new petals but quickly the new ones get malformed and the odler ones eventually fall off.


This is what is left now. 

And here are my new tomato seedlings which I think I see signs of damage. So
Some brown patches on the one to the right. 


Weird look on the endings of the leaves to the upper left.


Leaves starting to get malformed in the edges.



I think the petals look a bit rough on the surface.


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Posts

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    Unless you have just watered those they are way way to wet. They are also not getting enough light. Looking at your pictures I would say that overwatering is the main issue.

    It's not just how much light they are getting but what colour light. I grow under florescent tubes and use 2 tubes, one a "warm" (3000K) and one a "cold" (6500k)bulb. LED lights give out a very specific wavelength and may not be providing the light the plants need.

    Next stop spraying, neem and soap can both burn and damage seedlings (and adult plants) the last picture looks like overwatering with a side of chemical burns.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've never used lights, so I can't comment on that, but I'd agree - those look very wet, and that causes more problems with seedlings than almost anything else, even here in the UK. I certainly wouldn't be using any 'products' of any kind on any seedling.
    Lack of light is always a factor with seed sowing, and there are several threads on the forum, as there is every year, because sowing too early creates a problem due to low light levels. It's as important, often more important, than temperature.
    It's important to work with your conditions too, although they can be amended a little.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Hello Mimmi, welcome to the forum  :)

    I agree with what the others have said, especially with regards to watering and spraying. If possible, it's better to water seedlings from below by putting the seed trays in a shallow tray or a bowl filled with a little water. This allows the compost to take up the moisture without the leaves and stems getting drenched.
    What do you do with all the young plants (assuming they survive) ? Do you have somewhere with more natural light for them to grow ?
  • Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
    I'm just about to experiment with a 'light box' for a windowsill, basically it's a small cardboard box lined with silver foil. The box is cut down at the front to catch the sun. The sun rays are bounced back by the foil on the rear of the box, and onto seedlings inside the box.

    I've not yet tried it myself, but I think maybe it's worth a try, it costs practically nothing.

    https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/sites/www.gardenorganic.org.uk/files/resources/fflp/A13-Making-a-light-reflector.pdf
    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited March 2022
    When I start my seedlings (probably in a couple of weeks' time this year) I use a windowsill with a homemade reflector as @Jenny_Aster described. It really helps to reduce how much the seedlings lean towards the light. My reflector gets put away in the loft for the next year after I'm done with it so it costs nothing at all. Last year I got a growlight as well, and used it with a timer to come on for a while in the afternoon/evening (the windowsill faces east) and that also helped with legginess. I've also found that it helps to open the window on mild days to let fresh air in (edit: obviously not possible if you're out all day, but try it when there's someone at home). Bottom heat from a propagator (or radiator below the windowsill) is good to get the seeds to germinate but they don't need it after that, and too much heat with lower light levels tends to make for weak leggy growth.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • mimmikarlsson1oJz1_UnAmimmikarlsson1oJz1_UnA Posts: 2
    Thank you all for your quick answers!! I will take these advices in use :) And that is good to know Skandi, with the colour of the light. I checked our lights and they are at 4000 K so its not the most efficient for plants. We might get new lights...
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I hope you can get some results @mimmikarlsson1oJz1_UnA. If you have more seeds, it's worth having another go, using the info on this thread  :)
    Good luck. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • MrMowMrMow Posts: 160
    Just interested why a newbie gets hello and welcome , and others get Spammer alert.

    I never knew retirement would be so busy. :smile:




  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    That is very rude @MrMow
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's fine @punkdoc. Says more about him than it does about me  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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