Inconsistent tomato seedlings

15 years ago

Hi everyone.

I've been trying to figure out what's going with my tomato seedlings that I have growing under fluorescent lights in a south window.

If you look at the two in the photo, the one on the left (tiny tiger) and the one on the right (green sausage) they are not growing at the same rate.

The left one was planted 12-25-09, the right one was planted 01-04-09.

Notice how stocky the tiny tiger is and how leggy the green sausage is?

Now my question. Which is normal?

Is the one growing too slow for 3 weeks old or the other growing too fast being only 1 week old, and why are they not consistent. Is it variety that has an influence?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

tom_n_6bzone
15 years ago
it looks like the one on the left has had a little better light. It has nice permanent leaves. The one on the right hasn't developed as much but then you said that is was planted over a week later. I think those 10 days account for most of the difference. Since they are in a window, I think I would have filled the dirt very close to the top of those cups so they would have received the sun light without going thru the walls of the cup when they first sprouted.

I think they are both fine considering the age difference and the fact that they are different varieties.
~tom
pushindirt
Original Author
15 years ago
Tom,
good point on filling the cups all the way. I didn't think of that. I will cut the paper down.
My biggest concern is how fast the one on the right is growing. I'm afraid it is going to get leggy very fast.
Related Professionals
Surprise Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Benbrook Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Belmont Landscape Contractors · Fort Atkinson Landscape Contractors · Gresham Landscape Contractors · Peoria Landscape Contractors · Pleasanton Landscape Contractors · Quincy Landscape Contractors · Salem Landscape Contractors · Chatsworth Fence Contractors · Corona Fence Contractors · Eagle Mountain Fence Contractors · Grandview Fence Contractors · Rome Roofing & Gutters · Norwood Roofing & Gutters
hautions11
15 years ago
I read someone's strategy of starting in tall cups filled part way on purpose, so they could fill soil around leggy plants and plant them deeper as they stretched. A lot of seedlings look leggy right off the bat, just because that is the length of stem predetermined by the seed. The growth over the next 2 weeks is more of a tell on too little light and leggyness. My 2 cents.
wordwiz
15 years ago
I've never seen a tomato plant that wasn't somewhat leggy when it first germinated. I'm trying to turn that into an advantage by letting them grow until they are about four inches tall and then transplanting them into a larger container, all the way up to their bottom leaves.

The green sausage looks great to have been sown for only a week.

Mike
turquoise
15 years ago
Sorry if I missed it, but how close are your lights? You can lower them very close, an inch or two, even touching the tube. Do you have a reflector of some sort to direct the lights down on them? You have saucers, so I assume you have holes in the bottom of the cups for drainage too? The guy on the left is small, but neither one looks unhealthy.
chrisrintz
15 years ago
I agree with turquoise. With fluorescent you can get that light right on top of them with little worry. this will discourage stretching as the plants mature.
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
hautions - That's an excellent idea, by filling the cups only half way. That's good to know, since i'm about to start 78 toms next weekend. Thanks!

EG