Help me learn "leggy"

BackyardBirdGardner 2/6/2011, 11:01 am

They seem leggy to me, but I don't know at what point it becomes harmful. And, I don't know how to solve it in my setup because I have the lights 4 inches off the peat pots and now only about 2-3 inches from the tips of the plants. That HAS to be close enough? And, my lights are on 14 hours everyday. Could that be it....too much light time?

The broccoli is on the left and looks the leggiest. The lettuce in back looks leggier than the lettuce in front, but it looks worse in real life than the picture portrays.
Help me learn "leggy" 5421369483_9ab275ea55

Help me learn "leggy" 5421369483_9ab275ea55

And, the cauliflower seems fine...but it's a few days behind the others in sprouting so things may change.
Help me learn "leggy" 5421977308_8f2fdc28fe

Thanks for helping me.

**camprn** 2/6/2011, 11:35 am

Lower your lights. A gap of an inch or two from the bulbs to your plants will help.

Lavender Debs 2/6/2011, 11:49 am

This is probably a dumb question, but are they full spectrum lights or just shop lights?

BackyardBirdGardner 2/6/2011, 1:20 pm

Just standard 4' lights. I was told the "grow lights" don't make much difference for the expense anyway.

**Furbalsmom** 2/6/2011, 2:05 pm

I don't use "Grow Lights" either, but I do use one cool and one warm light in my shop light fixture. "THEY" say, that this gives you a less expensive way to get a little broader spectrum of light than using both cool or both warm lights. In this case, cool lights are slightly bluish and warm lights are slightly yellowish.

This combination worked ok for me last year. My indoor seeds have not germinated yet so I am waiting to see this year's results.

Still don't know who "THEY" are, just miscellaneous info I picked up in the past.

**camprn** 2/6/2011, 3:11 pm

Last year I had various light bulbs used for my seedlings and none of them was a "gro" light. HOWEVER, the seedlings responded much more positively with more vigorous growth under the 'Full Spectrum' lamp.

BackyardBirdGardner 2/6/2011, 6:12 pm

I guess I should ask.....judging by the pictures, should I be worried? Or, should I just keep rocking and sowing my seeds?

miinva 2/6/2011, 7:11 pm

From what I've read you can strengthen your plants by moving them too. Some people put a fan on them for a little while each day, moving the fan around so they don't always bend the same way, and some people just run their hands over the top of their little babies whenever they check on them. That doesn't necessarily address the legginess, but it will help your seedlings to be stronger Smile

acara 2/7/2011, 7:07 am

I've found a fan works, but so does just rotating the trays daily, or just giving them an hour or two of outside sun in mid afternoon (sun directly overhead) and then bringing them back inside.

I suspect seedlings are like anything else in nature & don't expend any more energy than they have to ...... so if you don't "stress" them, they won't "thicken up" and will stay "leggy".

Just my musings though .. Laughing

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