Every gardener knows that sunlight is super important for seedlings. The sun helps to produce the plant’s energy needed for survival. A leggy seedling can result from many factors. It’s usually a result of poor care for the plant, like not giving them enough sunlight or water.
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Many times I had leggy seedlings, and just dispose of them. You probably had some too. If your seedlings are tall, and have thin stems, and barely any leaves, you can still fix it, if you catch it early. Even now I still get them here and there.
Why are Leggy Seedlings Bad?
Leggy seedlings are not strong enough to withstand the weather. A windy day can take your little seedlings out. They are more susceptible to pests and diseases because they won’t stand upright and the stems will bend towards the soil. If you do decide to plant them without fixing it, it’ll be harder to introduce them to a new rough environment. This will in turn slow down the growth until they can correct themselves.
Will leggy seedlings survive
Yes, most times they will, if you take the right measures as soon as you spot them! But sometimes they may already to tall to survive.
Problems that cause Leggy Seedlings
Insufficient light for the seedlings
Insufficient lighting is the #1 most common cause of leggy seedlings. You might wonder how insufficient lighting can affect the seedlings. Plants naturally grow toward the light. When there’s not enough light, the light’s too far away or the light’s not bright enough, your plants will grow taller quickly. Essentially, the seedlings are too tall in little time. Leggy seedlings are common in plants grow by windowsills.
Too much heat
Heat for the seedlings is excellent, but it could also cause problems too. Heat will cause your plants to grow quickly. As your seeds germinate from that heat, they will also have a rapid growth spurt, which will make the seedlings shoot up tall. The leaves won’t have enough time to grow.
Inconsistent moisture content
Everyone probably has this experience where you leave your plants for a few days without water, then when you remember to water your plants, you drown them with water. A lack of moisture can eventually kill them as they wouldn’t be able to access the nutrients from the soil.
Overcrowded
Ever sit or stand in a space with lots of people? You feel cramp right? That’s how seedlings feel too. The seedlings all competing for the light, water and nutrients. Scattering seeds over the soil make the space cramped when your seedlings begins to get bigger.
How to Reverse, Fix and Save Leggy Seedlings
Provide more light
Since light is the most common problem, the easiest fix for leggy plants is to provide more light. A windowsill isn’t good enough especially if your’e starting seeds like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants a month before the weather warms up. The best thing to do is to supply the seedlings with some artificial LED grow lights. Plants usually need 12-16 hours of sunlight for healthy plant development.
Remove heat after germination and use a fan
If you’re using a heat mat or any other heat source for good germination purposes, as soon as you see those little sprouts pop up from the soil, remove the trays off the mat and into a cooler area where there’s a lot of light. To encourage sturdier stems, use a fan to provide breeze or brush your finger gently over the seedlings. This will help the stems to become sturdier.
Water consistently
Keeping your soil moist consistently might be a little hard. But a great way to remind yourself is to set an alarm on your phone to water your plants once a day or every 2 days. Give each seedling a few a little water, but don’t over water otherwise you’ll end up with root rot and a stunted or even dead seedling.
Proper spacing
As soon as your tiny seedlings are germinated after about 1-2 weeks you’ll want to cut the weak ones leaving 1-2 or you can transplant them to a different pot to grow.
Final Thoughts
As soon as you spot a leggy seedling, deal with it as soon as possible. The earlier you catch it, the better. No one wants to see skinny, unhealthy looking seedlings. Hopefully, these tips help you out.
