From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Kingston, NH

Two years in a row now I have gotten my seeds started early in my house and two years in a row have been forced to hold off on planting them for a few days and had problems. Two years ago it was high winds for a few days in a row with rain, then as most may remember the lovely flooding of 06' in Southern New England.

My question is, how can I prevent the newly started seeds from getting tall ("leggy") in the pot and make them start growing how they do when started from seed in the ground. I started the seeds in 8" deep pots that are 7" wide. I have tried a variety of grow lights and different scenarios but they seem to always end up too tall. If I plant them as soon as they break through the spoil it is fine but even some that were outside in pots had issues as well. Because of this I have not had seeds in the gound and started until almost June 1. Can anyone point me in the right direction or offer some tips?

11/27/2006 9:53:10 AM

Chad, I had to hold back plants last spring for weather reasons as well. I had success keeping the light no more than 2" above the leaves. I took them off the bottom heat and had them in a room with the temp @ 55-60 deg, timer set for 16 hrs a day. Do not over water, I used a very weak solution of casting tea at this stage just keeping the medium moist.
This worked for me,,,when planting make sure you bury to the cots and it also helps to plant at an angle in the direction you want the vine to run.(this I learned in time to try it on my last 3 plants, it helped)

11/27/2006 10:02:56 AM

Kingston, NH

Unkadan, thanks for the reply, I thought maybe I had the light too close at about 16" above the leaves, I will definitely move it closer and remove the bottom heat. I'm always kicking myself for this problem because two years in a row I was only able to grow from June 1 to September 15th or so resulting in a 357 from some hardware store Dill seeds last year and a 560, 420, and 360 this year from my own 357 from 05. I always wondered how much bigger they could have been with another month of growing time. I am making a notes list for the spring and any tips I get from this thread will be going on it.

11/27/2006 10:10:42 AM

I knew nothing about AG's untill I got on this website last Dec,,,use the search feature,,the past growers diary's,,sit and make notes in chat. When you feel comfortable ask some questions there,,for the most part the folks are great and very helpful.

Join a local club if you haven't already you have some of the best growers living in your area.

Check out the seed exchange board for some of the best genetics out there for the price of a prepaid bubble pack.

11/27/2006 11:45:33 AM

Kingston, NH

I am working on getting some seeds so that I have a selection for next year. I have been visiting this site for about 8 months but just joined last month.

11/27/2006 11:59:40 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Welcome Chad!!! Peace, Wayne

11/27/2006 9:16:28 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Welcome Chad...All good advice but the best was to join the New Hampshire Growers Assoc. Find a local mentor. They're all great folks up your way.

Make a VERY deep seed starting pot. I use a cut & hinged peice of sewer & drain pipe 14" long & even then the roots hit the bottom in 4-5 days. Various used 1 gallon icecream containers work too but aren't as deep & might fill in just 3 days. Time your seed start carefully. Also have a cool but bright flourescent grow light read. Keep it as close as possible (which prevents legginess) but be ready to raise it twice a day to prevent burning the leaves.

Make sure you have a seed cloche too. These should be up by April 1st warming & moderating soil moisture. Then you can plant in the wind as long as the cloche is built for it.

Grow well.

11/27/2006 10:41:05 PM

Syracuse, NY

ChadS, above all else do not go about it thinking you have to turn the lights on and off for any reason! This simulates the outdoors and STIMULATES legginess.
keep the flourescent lights ON 24/7 above your plants no further away than 1 inch, believe it.
in my case, i have a 4-foot full-spectrum 40-watt bulb and
a Gro-Lite 40-watt bulb in the same fixture, side-by-side.
each fixture ( i have 2) is raisable and lowerable via
clothesline at each end, but they are tied together in the
middle above the fixture so i can raise it and lower it
by pulling the combined cords at the same time through a screweye anchor thing. like when you raise or lower a Venetian blind...

the seedlings should never be in the peat pots or whatever
for more than about 10 days---i use 4-inch peat pots but would like to try a Tremor method--eric/'pal2

11/28/2006 2:13:58 AM

hmmmm,,stimulating the outdoors is "exactly" what you want IMO,,,,

Keep checking the posts and form you own plan, do some testing with spare seeds, helps the winter pass and developes gremination skills. I played around for 2 months in Feb and March to come up with a system that worked 100% for me last year. I went through over 200 trails with 150 Big Max and then 50 AG seeds.Documenting everything and making changes along the way.(my final "system" is a little outside the box I will add)

I was amazed at the growth during what is considered the "rest" period. But with that in mind, "why would you consider changing that pattern at this critical stage of plant developement?"

We didn't touch on the point of harding off the plants in real sunlite for a few days b4 hitting the dirt either,,it's very early for these "starting" questions and they will be bantered about alot over the next few months.
Draw your own conclusions and have faith in "your" system come April.

11/28/2006 5:51:42 AM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

a small fan blowing on them will help also.

11/28/2006 6:44:07 AM

Kingston, NH

Thanks everyone for all the responses so far. I have been doing this for two years and again the leggy seedlings has been my only real problem. With some good genetic seeds that have been put up for the cost of a bubble I should be able to hit my 800 goal this year. The notebook grows...

11/28/2006 11:51:40 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Chad, good lights, close, and a little stress...fan or into sunlight a little more each day or both...should keep them shorter and fatter and ready for reality...just MHO Peace, Wayne

11/29/2006 12:37:42 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

ChadS, Wayne here, received a bubblie today, and don't remember what I was supposed to put in it. I'm gettin old, and dont remember well, send me an email at wsmpeace@aol.com Peace, Wayne Sure do wish the email envelopes were still here!!

12/8/2006 5:03:04 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

"hmmmm,,stimulating the outdoors is "exactly" what you want IMO"

If you want to stimulate the outdoors you are gonna have to go with more than 40 watts. Perhaps a 1000 HID.

In order to reduce stretch the lights should be kept as close as possible without burning the new growth.
The lighting is also best kept on 24/7 if you want your plants to produce a compact growth pattern.
Flourescent lighting is too week to promote agressive growth at a great distance from the plant.

Try it both ways, lighting them under 18/6 and 24/7. I think you will agree that keeping them under 24 hours of light will promote agressive growth while keeping your plants more compact.

12/22/2006 7:51:19 AM

Danville, CA (petman2@yahoo.com)

Apparently if you have leggy plants you can plant them as deep as the first cotylons (sp?) and they will root all along. This would reduce some of the legginess you are experiencing when you transplant them outside.

Gotta do what Dan says and practice. Another good reason to save seeds from open pollinated carving type pumpkins.

12/22/2006 11:19:07 PM

United Kingdom

anyone got any seeds to get me started, i have grown a few pumpkins and its so exciting but i have never been able to grow a really big pumpkin. please help if you can.
thanks so much den.

2/26/2007 4:56:00 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

den99, try asking on seed exchange thread....lots of good folks, around, and if you ask nice....nice things will happen. That's how I got started. Peace, Wayne

2/26/2007 10:38:30 PM

President - GPC

Soon as their out of the ground, start augmenting with real sunlight, even if its just for a little bit. 40 W will not do it, neither will 80. I use 1000W and real sunlight can still burn the leaves if not adapting to the sun slowly. My trays chase around the sun during the early days.....Then go outside under a tree to eventually getting out in full sun, then brought back inside, this goes on and on until their is no threat of frost, on inside the hoop house. I also use a fan to strenghten (exercise) the little guys so they also get use to our hurricane winds....

2/27/2007 9:37:53 AM