7 Yellow or brown leaf tipsĬause: Warm temperatures (70 to 75 degrees F) are ideal for seed germination, but tender seedlings can overheat from high-intensity lighting, lack of ventilation, or other reasons, causing the foliage to begin to burn at the edges. Keep the mix consistently damp but not soggy so the plants don't dry out or drown. Solution: Plant in a mix that includes perlite or vermiculite, naturally occurring minerals that hold moisture and disperse it as needed. Hot grow lights and the dry air inside heated homes can rapidly dehydrate plants, too. Plant seeds in small containers (4-inch size is the maximum) and be prepared to transplant them to a larger pot as they grow.Ĭause: Even a few hours without water can slow a seedlings' growth and after a day the plant may begin to curl its leaves to conserve moisture. Instead use a mix containing peat moss or coir (coconut husk fiber). Solution: Never start seeds in potting soil, which holds too much moisture. Excessive water is a common result of growing a small plant in a large pot, because the plant isn't absorbing much moisture each day so the soil in the container stays soggy. When the roots don't get air, the leaves hang down and the stems droop. 5 Droopy leaves and stemsĬause: Overwatering plants actually drowns them by depriving the roots of air. High-intensity lamps should be about 18 inches from the tops of the plants - any closer and the tender seedlings may burn. Solution: If you are using fluorescent or LED lights for your seedlings, set them up so they are about 4 inches from the tops of the plants and raise the lights as they grow. Artificial lights being much less bright than the sun, seedlings try to stretch toward them when they are too far from the plants' tops tiny leaves. 4 Long, spindly stems and tiny leavesĬause: Seedlings need lots of light as soon as they begin to grow. Be sure to feed seedlings with fertilizers formulated for the early stages of growth and follow recommended dilution rates carefully, so there are just enough nutrients to meet the plants' needs and no extra. After sowing seeds, sprinkle sphagnum peat moss on top of the soil or other planting medium to absorb moisture. Solution: While it's too late to cure seedlings that are infected with damping-off, you can prevent it. Excess moisture or nutrients create conditions that promote damping-off. 3 All seedlings die suddenlyĬause: If a batch of otherwise healthy seedlings fall over and wither seemingly overnight, they are likely victims of damping-off, a fungal disease that attacks stems at the soil surface and is usually deadly. Be sure the soil stays consistently damp while the seed is sprouting. Prevent the problem by pushing seeds into the soil to a depth about three times its size-that is, plant a 1-inch seed 3 inches deep. After waiting a few moments, ease it off with your fingers. Solution: To fix, spritz the casing with water. The problem of a stuck seed coat also can occur when the soil is too dry. Even a few dry hours can stall the sprouts' growth.Ĭause: When the outer shell of seeds stays on top of or around the tiny new leaves, you may not have planted them deeply enough in the soil for the sprout to shed the casing before it breaks through the surface. After planting, be sure the mix stays consistently moist. Dampen the soil mix thoroughly, and then sow the seeds. Solution: Before you plant, soak your seeds in water for 30 minutes so the seed coats start to soften and they begin absorbing moisture. If you get low germination with fresh seeds, your soil mix may have dried out before the tiny sprout could take up enough moisture to start growing. 1 Seeds don't come upĬause: About 90 percent of fresh seeds should sprout, but after six months or more in storage, germination rates can begin to decline.
Looking for more gardening information? Check out our Organic Gardening 101 for more tips. Check on your little plants every day and when you see any of these symptoms, take quick action to fix the problem and keep your crop growing strong.
Whether you start with seeds or clones, the tender seedlings can suffer from overheating, underfeeding, and lethal fungi. Your indoor garden is never more vulnerable than in the first few weeks after you plant.
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