Seedlings falling over: @Kiwi Smoker grow log 2023-4

[Kiwi Smoker]

Hi everybody, sorry if this is a well worn subject can't find much about a cause or cure. My seedlings seem to reach a certain size then start to lay down. I'm continually putting more mix around the base to prop them up. I'm thinking weight of new larger leaves are the cause so have reluctantly trimmed them back by cutting half off. The large leaves are about 3" by 2". I don't want this to become a permanent growth defect. Thanks.

 

[SlamFire]

Sounds like a case of excessive watering or inadequate light...

 

[deluxestogie]

Photos?

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

An outside one with plenty of light and minimal water.

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

An inside one I've had in the sun from time to time.

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

Getting sun most of the day by a window but filtered through net curtains. I scrape the top of the soil to see how dry they are and add a couple of teaspoons of water at the base I see fit.

 

[deluxestogie]

My usual practice for seedlings of that size is to aggressively clip all of the leaves (½ to ¾ of each leaf) every week or so. That will stiffen and thicken the stalks, and make the roots more robust. Those clipped leaves are invariably the ones that become trash at the bottom of the plant anyway.

Bob

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

My usual practice for seedlings of that size is to aggressively clip all of the leaves (½ to ¾ of each leaf) every week or so. That will stiffen and thicken the stalks, and make the roots more robust. Those clipped leaves are invariably the ones that become trash at the bottom of the plant anyway.

Bob

Thanks Bob, wasn't sure how aggressive I should cut back and have done that now. Should I avoid adding diluted liquid tomato feed at this stage?

 

[deluxestogie]

From mid-March 2023

I can't help much on the fertilizer. My seedlings are started in my Miracle-Gro starter mix (which has sustained fertilizer), then the garden plot receives a single dose of low-chlorine 10-10-10 prior to transplant outdoors.

Bob

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Hey Bob, @deluxestogie, what would u call low chlorine fert? What quantities, percentages are we talking or is the fert just called low chlorine?

 

[deluxestogie]

The most common K source in fertilizers is KCl (potassium chloride), because it is by far the cheapest source of K. Potassium muriate, muriate of potassium and muriatic acid are all names for potassium chloride. If you can avoid those sources of potassium, then you have low chlorine fertilizer. There is no clearly define limit or percentage that I know of.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Hey Bob, @deluxestogie, what would u call low chlorine fert? What quantities, percentages are we talking or is the fert just called low chlorine?

Are you using chlorinated water?
Will you grow in the ground or in containers?

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Sorry Mark, didn’t mean to hi-Jack your thread.
Just found some low-chloride fert online at Oderings. Might be worth checking out

Oderings Garden Centres | Fertiliser - Egmont, Nitroblue, Plant Food 3kg

Contains essential nutrients for optimum growth. Use for indoors or outdoor plants from shrubs, trees, vegetables and flowers.

www.oderings.co.nz

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

Sorry Mark, didn’t mean to hi-Jack your thread.
Just found some low-chloride fert online at Oderings. Might be worth checking out

Oderings Garden Centres | Fertiliser - Egmont, Nitroblue, Plant Food 3kg

Contains essential nutrients for optimum growth. Use for indoors or outdoor plants from shrubs, trees, vegetables and flowers.

www.oderings.co.nz

All good Kiwisaffer.

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

I notice one of my best looking seedlings now have a yellowing of leaves and today another started yellowing. Nothing has changed except a bit more direct sun. Could this be sunburn? All of them are in the same soil mix. Photos are taken at night so it's hard to see, will post more tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[Bottenslam]

Looks like sun burn to me, its not really a big deal tho, as long as it isnt to much, then it can slow the growth for a while.

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

Sorry Mark, didn’t mean to hi-Jack your thread.
Just found some low-chloride fert online at Oderings. Might be worth checking out

Oderings Garden Centres | Fertiliser - Egmont, Nitroblue, Plant Food 3kg

Contains essential nutrients for optimum growth. Use for indoors or outdoor plants from shrubs, trees, vegetables and flowers.

www.oderings.co.nz

Looks like sun burn to me, its not really a big deal tho, as long as it isnt to much, then it can slow the growth for a while.

Thanks for that, just wondered if that was the case why they didn't all get it though.

 

[Bottenslam]

Perhaps the damaged leaves where more angled towards the light? But when it all gets down to the finer details who knows, there is so much chemistry going on in a plant that creates the deciding factors for this and that, sometimes its just impossible to know. Do they look weaker than the ones that didn't burn?

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

Well, the wind here in Wellington NZ over the weekend was a good test trying to make my seedlings turn into helicopters but was surprised to see minimal damage. Indoor ones in images waiting to go outside.

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

Hi all, I'm now getting this on some establishes leaves. When I first saw it on others I snipped the edge off, any idea what it could be please?