Just an extra picture of a different seedling

Once they sprout they do not need to be on the heat mat. I find it typical for any new transplant to do nothing that I can see for a while, I have assumed they were putting out roots.

Depending on what it in your garden mix, this may be a problem for such small seedlings. With a lot of compost or manures the mix can be too heavy and stay too wet. If and when the cup fills up with roots it is less of a problem. If you decide not to repot, be careful not to overwater.

Agree with Linda above. heat mats are for germination only and can easily cook roots so they need to be removed from the heat mat ASAP.

No idea what you mean by a "3 way garden soil" but that is by far the most likely cause of your problems. Soil-less potting mixes only in small containers.

And what size are those cups? Tiny seedlings can't cope with disproportionately large amounts of soil as it remains too wet for too long.

Dave

Thanks for the answers.
I got the soil mix from our local garden center "by the yard" it was pre mixed according to heir information consisting of equal parts sand, compost, and sandy loam.

The cups are a generic version of the red "solo cups". I did not fill them all the way. Would you recommend repotting them into smaller pots with a different soil mix?
I am very thankful for suggestions, as a first timer...

You have them in "soil" right now not a "potting mix" - best to repot them in a soil-less mix ASAP. Yellowing of cots is normal, they will drop off, you've got some decent-sized true leaves there to take over but you will have problems with damping off, root rot, etc. unless you repot them.

Did you buy the soil by the yard to prep beds for in-ground planting? Not sure why you used it in the cups. Just curious, what did you start the seeds in - peat pellets or seed starter mix in the peat pots? And do you plan to grow them in containers or in ground?

I used Jiffy Peat pallets for the germination stage. The roots had taken over and started growing outside the pallet, so I repotted them (taking of the "wrap" around the peat pallets).

I do plan to grow them in raised beds.

As you can maybe tell, I am a bit clueless with the soil. I also started other seed in a germination mix. I guess I thought they needed to be transplanted into a medium that they could "feed" off in. Figuring they would eventually end up in that sort of soil anyway, I used what I had left from filling the raised beds.

So, are you talking about re-potting them in a regular store bought "potting soil" (i.e. Miracle grow)?

This post was edited by swissmiss4u76 on Sun, Apr 6, 14 at 13:42

No, potting mix and potting soil are 2 very different things. MG makes both but you want labels that say "Mix". There are many brands available. But if the name or the ingredients list "soil" do not use it.

Potting mix contains no soil. It is a balanced mix of sterile peat, perlite or vermiculite, some bark fines, and some lime to balance the pH. Some brands also include some added nutrients but you will still need to feed the young plants.

In containers anything with soil/compost/dirt/garden soil in it compacts and drains poorly leading to root rot. Older well established plants can sometimes cope with it, young seedlings cannot.

Dave

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

I repotted them all in miracle grow potting mix (the only mix available in my very small town). Some are not doing so well, but they are back under the lights and we shall see if they recover.

I am so thankful your guys' advice as I was repotting them I could see what you were talking about! The dirt was like brick! Soaking wet!

I hope that it was still in time to save some of them.

I'll let you know how they are doing :).

Many thanks
Ursula

Temperatures in the 50s could be slowing growth.

Ursula, did you make drain-holes in the plastic cups? If not, it needs to be done asap.

I snip small V's in 3 places along the bottom edge of each cup. Other folks have different preferences.

Swissmiss, Your seedlings are actually doing pretty well considering conditions. They need more light intensity and the soil mix needs to dry out quite a bit. They are also showing some signs of nitrogen deficiency. Here is what I would do:

1. reduce the amount of water you are giving them. Let them dry out until they wilt just a bit before watering again. Be sure there are drain holes in the bottoms of the cups.

2. Move them closer to the light fixtures and/or put reflector foil around the fixture to get more light to the seedlings.

3. Raise the temperature to at least 65 degrees. 50 degrees F is too cold for seedlings.

4. Consider giving them some extra nitrogen next time you water. This would be 1/4 teaspoon of miracle grow 15-30-15 in a gallon of water or about 2 tablespoons of seaweed 2% nitrogen emulsion in a gallon of water. Apply once every 2 to 3 weeks.

5. See if you can put them into more direct sunlight for a short period of time each day. Don't overdo it, the leaves will get sunscald very easily. Start with 1 hour and increase by 30 minutes per day for a week.

Hello all,
I did have draining wholes in them :-). At least one thing I had done right.

Fusion_power: Since I re-pored them with MG potting mix, do you think I will still need extra N? I just don't want to over do it..

Although I think the lights are pretty low already, I will lower them a tad bit more.

I also left the heater on overnight to hopefully ease the transplant shock a little.

Most of the seedlings have recovered well when I checked this morning, I have 2-3 that are "questionable" to recover..

Thanks,
Ursula