I've got about 5 trays of marigold seedlings, they started to grow, but now they're long and gangly looking with 2 leaves and some have fallen over and died looking like little stringy things. Am I overwatering/underwatering? They're in my greenhouse at about 18 degrees C and lots of light. Any tips?
Sounds like they are not getting enough light, but you say there is lots of light. Is it direct sunlight?
Yes, direct sunlight for about 4 hours (when it's sunny out). They're in my back shed with a large window that gets full sun, the rest of the day it's bright, but not direct sun. I have heat lamps in there to regulate the night temperature to keep it at 18 degrees.
That's not enough sun. They need it really bright all day, so you may want to think about full spectrum fluorescents.
Did you use a good soil? It sounds like a touch of 'damping off' to me. I try to keep the bulb (tube actually) right over top, and give the plants a fan of air a couple of times a day to strengthen the stems.
When it comes to seedlings, if they don't do well, I think it is better to start over. The initial growth is very important to later success. Sounds like supplemental light is in order Paulina.
Yes, thanx, that's my plan, it's not like I don't have millions of extra seeds... I'm glad I started them early...
