Have I ruined my seedlings?

[IndigoElectron]

I finally got round to sowing my first seeds on Thursday, but I think I may have fallen at the first hurdle!

I sowed tomatoes (4 varieties), chillies, peppers and aubergines in a module tray and put them in a heated propagator (the attached photo shows them having a drink). The room they are in doesn't get loads of light, but it is the lightest place in the house where I can plug the propagator in.

The plan was to keep them in there until they germinated, then move them to a windowsill. But I forgot that they will germinate at different rates Two of the tomatoes have germinated already, and the seedlings are looking a bit leggy and are obviously searching for light (see attached photo). I can't prick them out though, because they don't have any leaves yet and I think I will damage them.

Also, I sowed 4 seeds to each module - I have no idea why I did this, my original plan was to just sow 2 so I could snip off the weakest one and leave the stronger one in the module until it was ready to prick out into a small pot. I think the seeds just looked so small that 2 to a module didn't seem enough! So I worry that I have overcrowded them.

So, have I totally messed this up? Is there anything I can do, or should I start again?

[IndigoElectron]

Argh, just found out about 'damping off', think they might be at risk of this too, as the lid of the propagator has been closed the whole time.

[Penellype]

What I would do with the tomatoes is prick them out now, and bury the stems to just below the seed leaves. If they die, nothing lost, but tomatoes are pretty tough and they might be ok. They do want to go in more light though.

As for the rest of the seeds, it depends on how highly you value them and your module tray. You could cut the tray into sections with a pair of scissors, then you can move the individual sections out as they germinate. Alternatively you could start again and use small plant pots for varieties that you are only going to grow a couple of plants of.

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks I'm not at all attached to the module trays, so will cut them up in the morning and move the ones that have germinated to the windowsill. I'll prick out those tomatoes too.

[snakeshack]

When you move them to the window put a piece of white card behind them on the opposite side to the window as this will reflect light from behind and keep them more evenly lit ( it's better than foil) and rotate them a half turn every day.Chillies like to be on the dryish side of moist or they damp off easily, but will die if allowed to dry right out.The tomatoes will be able to be planted deeper as you move them up into larger pots,in fact you will get a better crop if you keep dropping them every time you repot as they put out more roots from the stem which strengthens the plant giving it more support and a larger root system to take up water and nutrients.


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[kathyd]

I've just pricked out my tomato seedlings too, a bit early really because they've barely got their first true leaves forming, but like you my house is quite dark and I don't have anywhere light enough to keep them, and they were getting really leggy. However, having potted them on deeply as suggested above, and put them into a light and warm space, they've survived fine so far - just like they did last year when I did the same thing . And as snakeshak says, each time you pot them on again, bury them a bit deeper until you reach the seed leaves or the first set of true leaves.

[Two_Sheds]

Well, you've just learned a lot of useful stuff. Better to do that early on in the season, when you still have time to plant more

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks everyone, and yes, I've learned a lot for next time, nothing like getting stuck in to teach you

[Bill HH]

I too sowed some different types of seeds and one lot is already up. I chose to put them in the light (GH in my case) as I feel sure the others are already germinated under the soil and will pop out soon. As for planting 4 to a station, or even two, I have stopped doing that, soil and pots are cheap and can be used again, but tomato seeds are expensive nowadays, so if a few dont come uo nothing is lost really, but when you have 4 to thin out you invariably disturb them. Actualy out of 24 sowed in modules, 24 came up.

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks Bill. Did you say you reuse the compost? Can I just sow new seeds in the same modules after pricking out the seedlings, without changing the compost? Won't there be bits of roots left behind? What about nutrients?

[rustylady]

Seeds don't need nutrients in the compost Indigo.

[Bill HH]

Yes you can use it again, I might use mine in something else mixed with some fresh. Any roots in it will just rot away and become plant food themselves.

[IndigoElectron]

That's great, thanks both.

[SoulBroNo1]

I have moved/replanted some of my seedlings multiple times already. They are pretty sturdy things and seem to be doing fine regardless

[Two_Sheds]

Can I just sow new seeds in the same modules ... Won't there be bits of roots left behind?

Maybe, but nothing to worry about ~ they'd just rot away like Bill says.

I reuse compost all the time, unless there's been some horrible soil borne pest or disease in it (eg slug eggs, vine weevil).