Seedlings Not Growing

[DuskrayTroubador]

Hey All,


I've been having some real trouble again this year...


Germinated my first seeds of the year on 4/20.


They popped and I put them outside in their holes on 4/22.


Over three weeks later and the fuckers are only about an inch and a half tall. WTF?

 

[OkThen]

Found this on another thread, the topic was autos

Too, peat pots....far too acidic. Unsourced peat bogs may have more acidity than in prior years.

Hope that helps.

 

[El Timbo]

Hey All,


I've been having some real trouble again this year...


Germinated my first seeds of the year on 4/20.


They popped and I put them outside in their holes on 4/22.


Over three weeks later and the fuckers are only about an inch and a half tall. WTF?

What are your temperatures? How much sun are they getting?

 

[Teddybrae]

What are your temperatures? How much sun are they getting?

Yeah! That's what I 'm thinking. It's too early in Northern Hemisphere and too late in Southern. Not enough sunlight hours.

 

[DuskrayTroubador]

Hey guys, thanks for chiming in.


When I put them out, the temps were in the 50s and 60s during the days, 40s and sometimes 30s during the nights.


To offset cold nights/frost damage, I've put "mini greenhouses" or "cold frames" over top of them. Basically, I cut the bottom off of clear plastic cups and place the cups upside down over the planted seeds. This way they store some heat overnight. I've had success with this technique in the past, Though I also suppose that I started the seeds a few weeks later in the year than I did this time.


Sunlight is pretty good. I'd say the spot with the least amount of sun currently sees the seedlings getting direct sun from 9:30 or 10 in the morning until 6 or so in the evening.


All the seedlings are in Light Warrior seed starter soil mix, with some insect frass, kelp meal, and endo/ecto myco innoculants added. The soil is very black and loamy by nature, but I've noticed it will harden and compact sometimes after being wet and drying out -- perhaps this is the problem?


Now that the frost danger is gone, I removed the cold frames and replaced them with "collars." Basically, I cut the top 1/2 inch or so off the cups (the wide, mouth end) and wrap copper tape around it as a slug defense. Then I twist that into the ground slightly so that they have a slug barrier. My hope is that this increased airflow above/around the plants will prevent overwatering from too much rain by allowing water to evaporate better rather than evaporating up, hitting the inside of the clear plastic cup and forming back into water that drips or runs back down to the soil around the seedling.


I also hope that the plants fare better getting their sunlight 100% direct as opposed to "direct" but through a clear plastic cup. Though, I didn't notice any problems with the plastic cups hindering sunlight in the past...

 

[El Timbo]

Though I also suppose that I started the seeds a few weeks later in the year than I did this time.

A few weeks in the spring is a long time... this could be it. Maybe they will perk up once the soil starts to warm.