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NILES , CALIF

Any suggestions;
I tried to germinate some of my old seeds, most did not germinate, the ones that germinated are SLOW to grow.

Is there anything to give them, to get them to speed up?

4/30/2018 10:10:32 AM

Westmoreland, KS

If you look back on other diaries you'll see most of the older plants take their time growing.

I would suggest feeding them daily very small amounts of fertilizer and to not push them too fast.

2 months from now you won't know that they were slow growing.

4/30/2018 10:57:26 AM

NILES , CALIF

Thanx;
I feel better; Not Grumpy anymore!!

4/30/2018 12:58:33 PM

Syracuse, NY

If it helps, i'll tell you that since i keep MY plants under my fluorescent tubes as close to them as possible and 'on' 24/7 to prevent legginess, i know that there are 2 times that straying from my norm is beneficial---at the beginning and at the end of their time in their peat pots.
i am germinating everything in the oven this year: at the bottom of the oven are two light bulbs; 1 is a 100-watt equivalent (73 actual watts) and the other is a 40-watt normal incandescent in a 'Y' socket, so 113 watts total. these are turned on and off by a heavy-duty thermostat located near the top of the oven on the same rack as the peat pots. i have a digital, probe-on-a-wire-type thermometer attached to the oven door and the probe IN one of the peat pots at 1" depth, same as the seeds. i am having really, really good success at an average of 90* F (87-92); this is with seeds of maybe 5 years of age or less. the SS mix is Black Gold @ 10 dry quarts and slightly < 1/2 gallon of water and 1/2 cup of BioGrow Endo Plus Mycorrhizal Inoculant from Holland's mixed in...you cannot have seed-starting mix that tosses out more than one droplet of excess H2O when squeezed relatively hard.
i have a 1317 Clementz and a 1585 Werner in there at 2 days so far and no fear that they will not sprout.
if you have never used Gibberellic Acid to assist with older seeds i can explain how i'm using that if anyone hints that they wanna hear it; i have yet to see conclusive, side-by-side results, but i did get a 1007 Brown '00 to sprout last year, however sluggish a sprout it was, but it grew to be one of my best plants ever.

5/1/2018 6:05:57 AM

Syracuse, NY

back to the lighting and my point(s):
the other seedLINGS in the unheated (was heated until this year) basement were growing very slowly, even to turn skyward, which i had expected them to do within a day or so of sprouting, usually...i then put 3 of them BACK in with the other pots in the oven & VOILA! there was a noticeable rapidity of further stem extension and upright movement, within just a few hours. i will be putting them back in the basement, as i do not want them to grow TOO quickly.
the light(s) IN the oven are also probably causing the seedlings to 'look' for it, as THAT lighting is NOT from above the peat pots. i will tend to any sprouting difficulties for each seed here on out and then put them BACK IN there for another 6-12 hours and see how that goes. apparently, the 90*F + sparse light did the trick.

additionally, putting seedlings in a window for 1-2 days MAX. can cause them to grow more quickly, but don't do it for too long(!) as you will be in the 'legginess' boat by doing that. they get used to it and start going nuts, especially if the temperature AT the window is NOT cold.
moderation is key.
you can ALSO do this a day or so before planting the PLANTS out if you want additional stem growth or to even them all up, AND it can be done by setting tomorrow's 'patch-bounds' AWAY from under the lights, so that they 'reach for it', just-enough...eg

5/1/2018 6:06:16 AM