Discussion Board

I started my broccoli and brussel sprouts and thankfully I got more to sprout than last year. But both years they came out spindly. I just researched and it sounds like it's due to lack of light. I've got them in front of a window (which is what I did last year) but the window is probably not the best exposure and also it's near the ground (I am in a basement). I've been leaving the energy saver lights on also. Apparently this isn't enough sun.

I wish I could have a place to put them that is closer to a light source. This one site said something like six inches from the light. What happens when they grow? I go have a double florescent bulb above them, but it's about 2 feet or so away from the plants. The screw in CFL is a little closer but it's a track light type of set up.

I'm assuming I should get grow bulbs for the 48 inch double tube light. Not an easy task to reach it. Would buying one regular light bulb in the grow light help?

Mainly, will these little plants recover or do I need to start new? They are growing like mad.

Hi Faith,

You can go to any big box store and get a fluorescent light fixture with two bulbs for under $20. Then hang the light about 2 inches above your plants. Keep them in the window during the day if possible and then at night or on cloudy days used the lights. Better yet, do the window and the lights at the same time. I sprout many types of seeds inside and then move them right under a light.

Good Luck!
Fulenn

fulenn is right, they ought to have close-up light and a simple fluorescent light will do it. There are various ways to rig this up.

And, you don't need special "grow light" bulbs, if you're talking about the expensive ones that are sometimes called plant lights. Regular fluorescent light is all the plants need to grow! They need the special full-spectrum light only if you are planning to grow something that will flower indoors or bear fruit, like orchids or something. I've been starting my vegetable plants for decades just under regular bulbs. Much cheaper!

If the ones you have started already are really long and lanky (are they falling over?) you might want to consider starting some new ones. When they've had enough light from the time they sprout they grow sturdier.

My light fixtures had a mixture of warm and cool fluorescent bulbs in them. I kept the plants close, like others here are suggesting. You move the fixtures up as the plants grow taller. Mine were on chain link with s hooks. I could raise or lower the light fixture as needed. One thing I had to remember was not to torque the fixture, but to keep it even on the diagonal. Not necessarily level, sometimes I had one end higher than the other, but still even. Am I describing this adequately? This extended the life of the fixture and perhaps even the bulbs.

One other thing not yet discussed is simulated wind. I had an oscillating fan downstairs near the plant shelves, of which there were six, two sets of three. Wind stresses the stems, in a positive way unless you're talking about a serious weather event, making them stronger. The fan did this in the house. That meant when things went outside, they'd already been stressed in that manner, which made them less vulnerable to snapping in half. It also helped prevent any diseases caused by wet, like damping off. Yes, that meant watering more often, but I just kept a spray bottle for that, as often all I needed was to dampen the soil surface, not the entire flat, when things were just in the germination stages.

You also need to feed your seedlings some dilute form of fertilizer unless the soil you've chosen contains something.

Faith, are there any seed starting articles in that mess of stuff I mailed you?

I did research it. Glad to hear that reg normal fluorescent bulbs will work. I situated them right under the fixture and on some ferret cages, so it's now within a foot. I'll throw something else under them to bring them up. They are really high, so I'll use a stool. Unfortunately the fixture is installed, so I'll have to go about it more ackward. I'd love to have a set up, but it's always room room room and where to get it.

I feel better with your comments. Thanks. Yes, these little plants grew quick and they are falling over. So I'll pull out. One has his spare seed starting, so that pot is good to go. I hadn't sprouted in a few pots so stuck more seeds in so they are coming. So luckily I got a back up of seedlings.

Funny I read about the wind Plumeria. I do have a fan and can plug it nearby. Interesting. I never thought of that. I also read about the fertilizer. I did get some fish/seedweed stuff last year.

I don't remember any seed starting articles.

As far as your spindly seedlings go, if you have any tomato plants, don't throw them out, even if they are too long and gangly. When you repot them, bury them up to their lowest true leaves and they will be fine. It doesn't work with other plants, but will with tomatoes.

Fulenn

excellent to know - thank you. I haven't started the tomatoes and peppers yet. That should be soon. Very soon.

It killed me but I pulled out four of the plants. I'm hoping the others will do ok. I started more seeds in the paper towel method. This is a first to try and sprout then stick in the dirt after sprouted.

LOL I put the game, Pictionary under the flat of plants to raise it even more.

If that doesn't work, try Monopoly. Us old-timers used to use Twister but those are hard to find nowadays...

Faith, before you start those tomatoes, check the timing on the seed packages. I used to start mine between the 1st and 15th of April. One year I started them much earlier. I had to put them outside way earlier than I would have liked, and had to excavate the soil in the cold frames about a foot in order to close the lids! They were huge and BLOOMING in the basement! The peppers on the other hand seem to take an eternity to germinate and are very slow growers.

I remember us having that problem. I did read the seeds and marked the calendar. I think I'm getting worried with as sickly as my little brocs and brussels are doing.

It seems to me that it was mid March for the tomatoes and I had the peppers the same time.

Thanks Anna - I know now I'm not the only improvising gardener.

You should also try to grow them cool, especially at night if you can. They can be up to 70 degrees during the day in strong light, but at night let them get down to 40 degrees if you can. Less heat during the day, 60-65 degrees, will make them stockier, too. I grow my seedlings in an unheated room in the house that gets cold, but not freezing, at night and warms up during the day. One year I gave some of my tomato seedlings to a friend and when a surprise snow came (it melted quickly) all her neighbor's lost their tomatoes, but the ones I had grown cold at night came through with no protection. (Mine also came through, but I had them in a plastic tunnel. Last year we had a hard frost after I set them out and even with the plastic they lost most of their leaves, but the stems survived and grew new branches so quickly that they were hardly set back at all. Store bought plants would have died.)

I use cheap 48" fixtures and cool white bulbs and use blocks to prop the fixtures an inch or two above the top of the plants. Sometimes the plants even grow up and touch the lights, but it doesn't hurt them. Some plants are set on something to raise them up high enough because I have different sizes growing under the same lights.

Kime
You must have read my mind last night. I went back to grab the plants to water and thought I wonder if they are too cold. I have them in my back room, way toward the back, and there is no heating vent. So it's cooler than the rest of the house.

I think I still need to get them higher. I need to get out a step stool LOL. This weekend I'll add some wind.

I haven't located my fertilizer yet

I couldn't remember when I brought this subject up. It's only been a month. You all wouldn't believe what the little tikes look like now. They are healthy, stronger, have leaves like crazy. I was also able to get three more broccoli's to come up. That is a hard seed to germinate it seems.

Thank you so much. I have to laugh, Mom has this wonderful plant window that sticks out of the house and it's all glass. That's were I tried to get brussel sprouts to come up last year. None of them made it except this one little brussel sprout plant. I couldn't get it to grow, it was so thin. I thought a total glass enclosed window would be good enough. I finally said heck I got to get it out and planted the couple plants that germinated. The survivor was the length of my pinkie. This is after 8 weeks or so. He kept growing and in November I got a cup (yes one cup) of brussel sprouts all the size of a marble. LOL

The difference is remarkable. I just had to thank you all again.

Yay! I'm so glad to hear a success story! I hope you get broccoli coming out of your ears this spring!