Toms; Too Leggy?

[vikkib]

'Morning all!

I've got two lots of tomatoes on the go.

This pic shows the tumbling toms I thought I had drowned so gave up on so I was very surprised when they started showing signs of life!




The second ones I sowed two weeks ago (in a far more sensible way!) and are Millions. The tallest one is about 35mm.



I've never grown tomatoes from seed before so not really sure what they should look like! Are they too leggy? They look a bit spindly to me, especially as the Millions are just getting their first, teeny, tiny, true leaves.

They are on a window sill that gets some sun until about 11.30am and then it's bright but not in direct sun for the rest of the day.

[SarzWix]

Nah, they're not too bad. I've had much worse myself Just keep turning them every day so the back ones don't stretch too much. And when you pot them up, you can bury the stems up to the seed leaves so they get really sturdy by growing roots out of the buried stems

[terrier]

Look like good seedlings to me,Vikkib, but the ones in the first pic I would seperate ASAP and repot before the roots get too tangled. When you repot them, bury them in the compost up to their first set of leaves to encourage more root growth.

[susiewoosie]

Nah, they're not too bad. I've had much worse myself Just keep turning them every day so the back ones don't stretch too much. And when you pot them up, you can bury the stems up to the seed leaves so they get really sturdy by growing roots out of the buried stems

Can you do this to all seedlings. Just asking because all my seedlings are on the windowsil and they look a bit leggy.

[vikkib]

Thanks guys! I will make a note to bury them up to their seeds leaves when I pot them on.

I've been turning them every day (sometimes twice!) but those little millions keep bending away!

I will add thinning the tumbling ones to my to do list for today! Would it be best for me to just pull out some of the smaller ones? As I mentioned they're a bit of a bonus anyway as I thought I'd drowned them!

[markwcel]

according to gardeners world make a foil covered box and you dont need to turn them as much

[Creemteez]

Can you do this to all seedlings. Just asking because all my seedlings are on the windowsil and they look a bit leggy.

Not everything appreciates it, Susie. Sweetcorn does, and brassicas. Not sure about peas and beans, but i'm pretty sure that if you bury Courgettes too deep you risk them getting something called "Neck Rot", so I'd check before burying everything!

[susiewoosie]

Not everything appreciates it, Susie. Sweetcorn does, and brassicas. Not sure about peas and beans, but i'm pretty sure that if you bury Courgettes too deep you risk them getting something called "Neck Rot", so I'd check before burying everything!

Its mainly lettuce and cabbage. Can you plant them on before they get their main leaves. If I could maybe they could go outside under a polytunnel

[SarzWix]

Lettuce and cabbage are fine planted right up to the seed leaves

[susiewoosie]

Thats great thanks Sarah and Creem

[FionaH]

I planted my red cabbage out with just its seed leaves, they seem to be doing ok. They have real leaves now, just

[Jedi Gardener]

according to gardeners world make a foil covered box and you dont need to turn them as much

I've thought about doing this, but suspect my lady would go mad if all the windowsills were like a jungle AND foil covered cardboard boxes!