Leggy flower seedlings....

[bazzaboy]

In the veg area several seedlings, if leggy, can be pricked out/transplanted deep and they will create extra roots (brassicas and tomatoes being favourites for this treatment). But can you do that with seedlings grown for flowers? If so, how can you tell which ones will take that treatment and which ones won't tolerate being half-buried?

[rustylady]

Which ones are you having problems with?

[Two_Sheds]

Really, you should be trying to avoid getting leggy seedlings.

More light, less warmth, probably. If you can't provide more light, then delay sowing until the days are longer & warmer

[bazzaboy]

More light, less warmth....

Lol yes fair enough...! I don't usually do much with flowers but encouraged by the Lincoln/Riseholme horticulture course mentioned elsewhere (brilliant by the way for anyone local, recommended) am trying a few flowers amongst the veg... Also some flowers started for the local gardener's Plant Sale in May (I did brassicas last year and they all came back, people want flowers....)

But in general I completely agree, 2S, no great rush though I was expecting it to be a bit warmer sooner so stuff kept indoors rather than greenhouse.

Which ones are you having problems with?

Thanks, Rusty, the first four that come to mind (lol, may have overdone it....) are Hollyhocks, Cosmos, Cerinthe and Cornflowers. They all look healthy enough to survive but a tad taller than they should be. In the spirit of adventure and research I could sink a few of each and see what happens.... Death where is thy sting? Oh it's there!

[Two_Sheds]

None of my cornflowers have come up from a windowsill sowing. Could be old seed (no, it's new); could be poor compost (Aldi peat free: I think HazelontheHill dissed it, so it's likely).

I'm going to start some more in the unheated prop in different compost: I need cornflowers, they're the perfect blue for the (Chelsea fC) front garden


It's a bit early/cold for cosmos, they're HHA (tender) and will do better from a May sowing.

[bazzaboy]

None of my cornflowers have come up

Could post you some but it would be a very looooooooooooooooong parcel.....

It's a bit early/cold for cosmos, they're HHA (tender) and will do better from a May sowing.

Yes i agree, the (Wilko) packet said from February but perhaps Wilkinsons have branches in Algiers now? The local garden centres are trying to sell runner bean seedlings and it was snowing last week. I did email Sarah Raven coz her own brand packet of Cleomes seed states "sow Jan-March" but in her newspaper column back in 2001 (joys of Google) she wrote "never sow Cleomes before April or May because they'll rot". Didn't hear back!

Leggy but still alive, they just look a bit confused. Lol, today of all days I know the feeling, how on earth did we arrive here?

[SarzWix]

If you think about it, in leggy seedlings the stalk bit that you see ought to be underground; all it's done is stretch the underground stalk to try to get the leaves closer to the light? So I never worry about potting up to the seed leaves whatever the plant is, even the cucumbers, and have never lost a plant to stem rot. Burying deeper than the seed leaves I would be more cautious with

[kathyd]

Yay! Glad I found this thread - I was just about to ask exactly the same question about my cosmos seedlings! I'll just pot them deeper then, and plant more if they don't grow .