If you grow your plants from seed, for sure you have encountered several problems with seedlings. You are not alone, and you are definitely not the only home gardener who experiences common seedlings problems. We all do, even the most experienced gardeners do. They might not admit it, but I am sure they do. While I can deal with seedlings’ problems there are two that I just cannot stand. One is damping off, because this one is not fixable, and the other is overwatering because I struggle with this one.
- Yellow leaves on seedlings
- Mold growing on the soil
- Seedlings getting thin on the bottom, falling over and die
- Seedlings are leggy, spindly with too long and weak stems
- Droopy leaves or stems are wilted
- Curled leaves
- Seedlings are stunted, or they stopped growing
Yellow leaves on seedlings
Yellow leaves on seedlings might be caused by serval problems. The leaves turn yellow because of too much watering or too little watering. If the plants are watered too much the leaves turn yellow. If the plants are watered too little, the leaves turn yellow as well. If you eliminated the watering problem, then another possible cause can be the lack of nitrogen. If nitrogen is a problem, then fertilize the seedlings with liquid feed rich in nitrogen. When fertilizing little seedlings, remember that less is more.
Starting the seeds correctly leads to healthy and strong seedlings which will regard you with harvest. Learn the steps How to start seeds and care for seedlings here!
Why is there mold growing on my seedling soil?
Green mold is a sign of too wet soil, not enough aeration, or overcrowding of the seedlings. It means you overwatered your seedlings, and the airflow needs to improve. There is an easy fix to it. Water is less, so the soil is moist but not too wet. Aeration of the soil might help as well. You can scrape off the green mold and aerate the soil around the seedling, using a plastic knife and mix the soil around the seedlings. Do not aerate too deep not to disturb the roots. Aeration can be improved by adding an oscillated fan to circulate the air. Or open the window to circulate the air, if possible.
Overcrowding causes less air circulation between the seedlings. Thin the seedlings, or take some out and translate them to thin them out. Also, the fan can be added.
Transplanting the seedlings is a time sensitive matter, it is important not to miss it. How you plant your seedling will affect the harvest. Learn When and how to plant a seedling here!
Why are my seedlings falling over at the base and dying?
Damping off is a common problem when dealing with seedlings. It is actually a soil problem. It is caused by a fungal disease in the soil that affects the seedling. The seedlings stem becomes weak, it rots and the seedlings fall over and die. There is unfortunately nothing you can do to save the seedlings affected by damping off. It can be prevented though. Make sure you use clean seed trays, do not reuse potting mix, use clean tools when sowing seeds and use soil that drains well and is not too wet, so do not overwater the seedlings. Provide adequate air circulation. Plant your seedlings in the proper depth and not too deep. If you have a problem with damping off, use a sterile seed soil mix.
Encountering some of the seed starting problems? Read here to find out What are some common seed-starting problems and how to resolve them.
Why are my seedlings leggy, and spindly?
The seedlings get leggy or spindly, leaving them with a tall, thin stem and small leaves. This is caused by not enough or not adequate light provided to the seedlings. They get stretchy when they stretch for light. This is the sigh of light depravity. This can be more prevented than saved. Prevent the seedlings to grow leggy by providing them with strong, bright light. If you have to grow lights, move them closer to the seedlings, but as close as to burn them. If you growing your seedlings without grow lights using a windowsill, move the seedlings closer to the light source, or use a reflecting tin foil or some other light-reflective material to bounce off more light to the seedlings.
If you want to save space in your garden, try sowing some vegetables in clumps. Learn What is multi-sowing, or clump growing.
Why are my seedlings droopy?
The seedling might get droopy because of lack of water. Water your seedlings and ensure the water reaches the root system.
Why are my seedling’s leaves curling?
Curling leaves can indicate the seedlings do not get enough water and by curling the leaves they are trying to conserve as much water as they can. If watering is not a problem, another cause for curling leaves can be herbicides in the soil. Unfortunately, there is no remedy for herbicides in the soil. The sowing process needs to be started over.
Some vegetables are easy to start from seed, others are a bit trickier. Read here, which are Easy vegetables to start from seed indoors.
Why did my seedlings stop growing?
The seedings could be stunted or stopped growing because they lack light. Increase the number of hours when providing light to the seedlings, or increase the light intensity. Sometimes both need to be increased. Seedlings can be also stunted because they do not have enough nutrition n the soil. Feed the seedlings with nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer, but do not overfeed them. A combination of light and airflow might also cause the seedlings to be stunted.
This happened to me too. My seeds germinated great, they started off great and then suddenly they stopped growing. I have learned that I did not provide adequate light, not bright enough light, and not enough hours of light. And my seedlings did not have enough air circulation. This might be remedied by providing your seedlings with adequate light, good airflow, and feed. The seedlings might not bounce back quickly and might need time to recover. I have planted the stunted seedlings and some made it, while others did not, and I had to pull them out and throw them away.
What that experience taught me is that the seedlings need plenty of light, that they need good airflow, and that I will not plant in the seed starting mix anymore because I thought the seedlings were nutrition deprived and I have not fed them either. I would rather plant them in nutrient-rich soil from the start.
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