Leggy plants?

[chuck_n_grace]

Hi,
We've got several seedlings of broccoli that were in the propagator with insufficient lighting. Consequently they are taller and thinner than expected. We moved them into greenhouse. The internal temperature various from 45°F to 75°F (using night time heater and day time sun light).

Should we stick with these plants? Or should I start over with new seeds? I'm not sure if the leggy plants will grow correctly now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Chuck

[grahamhobbs]

How leggy is leggy, how tall have the seedlings got?

Broccolli is a cool plant, it doesn't need to be in a heated greenhouse (which will encourage them to be leggy), so long as they don't freeze they will be alright. With those temperatures they hardly need to even be in a cold frame, although whilst they are small this might be an idea as protection against cold winds.

[okra]

Try planting them very deeply only leaving the leaves showing this sometime works as it encouraging more roots

[boboff]

My Rhubarb have done the same.

I have put them outside in a coldframe, they will either get better or die.

I leave it a couple of weeks, if they look poorly, then I can always sow again, as I have time.

The cold I hope should "stop" them a bit, and hopefully get the roots etc to improve, finger crossed for your brassicas too Chuck!

[Odsox]

Try planting them very deeply only leaving the leaves showing this sometime works as it encouraging more roots

I agree with Okra, except I would gently remove the seed leaves before burying the stem, to stop rotting infections.
Brassicas and tomatoes both will sprout roots from further up the stem if treated like that.

[chuck_n_grace]

Hi,
Thanks for the input. We'll make a point to move the broccoli outside to the raised bed. I'll take your advice and bury them a bit deeper. I'll cover them in the event of a freeze.

except I would gently remove the seed leaves before burying the stem, to stop rotting infections.

The broccoli only have two leaves at the moment...I'm guessing that is what is meant by 'seed leaves'. So I won't remove them...unless another set is starting. Unless I've misunderstood you.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Chuck

[wulf]

Do plant some new seeds as well. Meanwhile, the leggy ones might benefit from (a) lots of light and (b) wind. The leggy condition (technically etoliation) is a response to lack of light - the plant is trying to reach up and find some light.

Burying them might not help although, as long as the leaves can start getting light and thereby generating food through photosynthesis, they might pull through. The wind suggestion comes from the fantastically named habit of thigmomorphogenesis, which is the mechanism by which plants thicken their stems in response to movement caused by external stimuli. If you are still keeping them indoors, you can lightly brush your hand over the top but a bit of wind will do that for free.

Wulf

[grahamhobbs]

Chuck, if the seedlings are that small, I wouldn't try to transplant them yet, thin them out if necessary, put them outside and as you say just protect them if it freezes (in South Carolina?) or if very windy, but as Wulf says a bit of a light breeze at this stage will be good for them.

[chuck_n_grace]

Wulf,
Wow! I feel a lot smarter after reading two new words today. Thanks! I'll dig into those technical concepts with some further reading. The plants are in seed trays so I can certain set them outside to thicken up a bit.

My wife and I agreed to start some more broccoli seeds...just in case.

Graham, our average last frost is March 15th...we're still expecting a couple of more freezes. This weekend though it will be about 21 degrees C....very, very nice.

I suppose it might make sense to blow air into the greenhouse from the outside to get a breeze blowing over the other plants as well. I've got a fan out there...just need to reverse its direction. Of course I'll read up on 'thigmo...something or other'.

Thanks,
Chuck

[boboff]

wow wulf, that is a fact for me. Thank you.

[wulf]

I'm doing a course at the moment (RHS Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture) and there is a lot of botany in the early modules, so I'm full of big words (and trying to figure out where I can actually see the ideas in practise).

Wulf

[boboff]

good on you.

please share

[chuck_n_grace]

Wulf,
You could start a new thread. Something like "Really Impressive Gardening Stuff". Then you could pass all of this horticultural education to us simple folk.

Here's what we did. We're going to start some new broccoli seeds. So my two teens and I went and transplanted 48 cells (average 2 plants each) into the raised bed. We buried them deep as suggested. We'll watch temps and cover if a frost is forecast.

If we lose all of them, then we'll pull them and transplant new replacement plants.

I'll report back on their progress in the weeks to come. Thanks for all of the input.

Regards,
Chuck

[bonniethomas06]

Blimey Chuck - 48!?

Not sure if you are running a market garden...but when I was feeding 4 from a patch, eight plants was way more than enough, even for freezing. Once you cut the head (main floret thing) off the top, the other, smaller heads grow in the leaf axils. So you end up with 1 large floret and several slightly smaller ones per plant.

So even if half of the ones you have sowed come good, you will have tons. Just glad I am not under your duvet!!

[Peggy Sue]

This leggy thing is very friustrating. I had my tomatoes in the propogator, yesterday they were just about to peek above the soil, today they are about 2" long! Now I have a dilemma- my alternatives are my windowsill- probaby less than 15c all day and less at night but still not very light, or the green house- nice and light but pretty damn cold for tomato seedlings! This happens every year, I really do need a solution! Mind you I always end up with tomatoes