Here's a closeup of the sort of OK one. The 2 in the same cell in the first picture are Green Dr and they're much larger (I just ran out of cells).

How hot is that light?

These plants have looked like this or worse (leaves falling off) since they were in 3 cells - germinated with the others app. 2 varieties to a 6 pack, so 12 varieties to a tray, on heat mat, then removed dome when most germinated. Removed each 6 pack from tray once most in those 6 cells germinated so none were on heat/under dome too long. I don't have enough lights so I rotate the trays,2 of the leggy ones right up next to the CFL (13W) bulb have gotten a little bleached since they were almost touching the bulb but these little guys have been far away, and have looked twisted practically as soon as they got true leaves (as I recall the cots looked normal).

I thought perhaps the soil was too wet, or too dry, and that's why they were dropping leaves, so put them in individual cells in clean 6-pack (the Drs in the other 3 cells really needed to be separated ASAP anyway) and they have stopped dropping leaves but other than those 2 (normal and almost normal) they don't appear to have grown any, I did lose 1 but probably b/c root system wasn't developed enough even for the tiny top growth (I have lost others b/c of that, not a big deal to lose 1 out of 30 or more when dense seeding, but these weren't seeded very densely - 3 or 4 to a cell).

FYI, I had just watered when I took these pix so the soil is wet. Others I let dry out, trying not to lose these guys entirely so I keep up on them a bit more. As you can see 1 looks perfectly normal (in the back on the right, behind the sort of normal one in the front 6-pack)), so do the 2 drs in that 1 cell (can just see the stems in front right in 1st pic), so do the 6 Drs in another 6 pack (just on right edge in 1st pic) in same foil baking pan (ran out of trays) that are watered at the same time, get same light, have been together since seeds so I don't think (?) it's that.

I see that the light is right on top of those. You mentioned you rotate the tray. But how often ? I suspect that they are dried up, the soil had been dried up. The leave are obviously scorched. That either due to to the heat or splash of strong fertilizer.

But on the other hand, that variety maybe normally has a different foliage ?. Is it a dwarf or patio type ?

Have not fertilized, not scorched (I can keep my hand on the CFL and these are more than 6" away, not almost touching the bulb like 2 other leggy ones that did get scorched) not dry (as I said I've been trying to keep these moist, in fact thought perhaps too moist when in the original container).

Ester Hess is a yellow cherry, RL not dwarf, not rugose. See the 2 normal ones in the middle of the tray (1 in each 6-pack), on the right hand side of 1st photo for comparison.

I just have no explanation why 9 out of the 11 that germinated (12 seeds) have looked like this all along, when the other 2 look normal, and the Drs in the other side of the same 6pack have had no problems at all.

I've been starting from seed for 4 years now, have never seen this, literally have started 2000+ tomato & pepper seeds (500 tomatoes, 200 peppers this year). I did have problems with aphids the first year when I used someone else's greenhouse, haven't had any problems (other than some leggy seedlings due to overcrowding) since switching to this setup but by the time I get them potted up to 4" or larger pots, hardened off and in the ground, they are nice and sturdy.

I was hoping Dave or Carolyn or someone with many years of experience could weigh in.

possibly just some seed was treated harshly so no normal development was possible...

Organic seed from Sand Hill Preservation. I brought them to CAES, left all the stunted ones there for culture but they're thinking powdery mildew - (though all the others are OK), and Ester is just more susceptible. I will let you know what they find.

Still seems strange to me that I have 1 (maybe 2) not affected, not to mention the other cultivars OK.

Just had call from Ag station (typo in my email address so I didn't get email 2 weeks ago). NOT powdery mildew, not virus or environmental disease. They potted some up to keep on windowsill and say they still look twisted, silvery/white stems but they're still alive - same as the 2 I kept. Physiological is all they can say at this point.

Does anybody have any other ideas what would have caused all (but maybe 1) of this cultivar to drop leaves, get twisted white stem, stunted growth? BTW, the Green Doctors that were started in the other 3 cells of the pack are growing like gangbusters now, no signs of any problems, hardening them off to plant out soon.

I'm wondering if linda was onto something...

Diagnostician mentioned "silvering" but that doesn't look like this....

Here is a link that might be useful: Silvering reference with photos

That happened to me with BullsHeart this year. I started two 50 cell trays early...then another 50 cell when i should, three weeks later. When i potted-up they did not look great but i was not too concerned.
Everything else is up, strong, and ready...but they are still 3inchers.
I use a grid paper method, not labels, so i know where they were in the tray...not an exterior spot...
Same soil, same attention...same everything.
Not the first time this has happened...i grow around 60-70 varieties. My error...processing error? (i usually blame myself)... loose starting mix in a few cells?...wet/dry, then very dry when germinating or got wet in the processing after dry?
I've just let mine sit there with everybody else...who knows. I've not looked at the seeds as i still have a few in the packet...