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Ashby, MA

Hi, I have some new plants growing in gallon buckets and the stem length on them (from soil to the first leaves) is about 4-5". I was thinking about putting something such as a small bamboo stick in the pot to help support the plant but I'm worried about the new roots. Also, I saw a picture from last year of Steve Connolly's 1674.5 plant when it was around the same stage and it looked like the stem was burried (only sticking up a little bit). Should I re-pot my plants or just leave them alone. A little worried that they might topple over before I get them in the ground.

4/20/2011 7:20:45 PM

Muddy Waters

Your grow lite should be about 2-3 inchs from plant!they must be looking for light!They will collapse if they dont get proper lighting!burying wont help!

4/20/2011 7:57:07 PM

Ashby, MA

They are on my window sill and it's been raining the last couple of days. My grow light is only 18" and not big enough to cover the 4 plants I have so I decided on just putting them on my family room window sill.

4/20/2011 9:03:32 PM

Weedville,pa

I would agree with Handy, gpierce. I was practicing starting seeds over the winter and had my light set very close, 1-2" above a seedling and it was doing fine. One morning, after I left for work, the light stopped working. When I returned that evening the plant had stretched up several inches and bent itself over at nearly a 90 degree angle, trying to reach toward sunlight coming in through the nearest window.

4/20/2011 9:04:55 PM

Weedville,pa

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=53

Check this out, gpierce, all is not lost with your leggy plants.

4/20/2011 9:09:18 PM

Weedville,pa

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=65

Try this one, gpierce, I goofed on that last post

4/20/2011 9:10:44 PM

Ashby, MA

Very interesting article. What I did right now is support the stems with some small bamboo sticks so they don't fall over. I plan on getting them in the ground this Saturday or early next week. If I do then I'll bury the stem up to the starter leaves like the article said.

4/20/2011 9:23:58 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Plant it deep, right up to the cots. It should root out all along the stem.

4/21/2011 9:27:40 AM

Muddy Waters

Are we talking Tomatoes here?? I dont think kins root on stem when buried deeper??or melons. Toms will though

4/21/2011 12:56:52 PM

Western PA

I would be ready to start another round of back ups incase something does not work out.

Once they break through the soil keep the light right over top of the sprout (1/2" to 1") at all times. Just room temp after they sprout, NO heat, it will make them leggy also.Putting them by a window also makes them leggy with my experience.
12 hours of light, 12 hours of dark.
I would recommend reading Paps tips if you have not already.
You may want to consider buying a 4 foot light from the hardware store or walmart and at least get 2 shop bulbs for it. Around 20 dollars.

4/21/2011 12:59:29 PM

Ashby, MA

ZAPPA, I'll take your advise and start a couple more backups just in case the break. I have bamboo sticks holding them up and they seem to be doing well. I'm going to get them in the ground probably on Monday. Again, I'll put bamboo sticks to hold them. My two plants last year were leggy and all turned out ok.

4/21/2011 2:34:16 PM

East Jordan, MI

This is my second year but I ran several light and root trials this winter. (have had pumpkins going in my living room from Jan 1st). All trials went for 2 weeks and had one control and two test plants. I used a 4 ft shop with one aquarium/plant bulb and a full spectrum bulb on a timer.

These are my observations.

If you keep the light on for 18 hours and off for 6 and keep it less than 2 inches from the plants, they will be short stocky and healthy. Further distances and longer dark periods, produced taller plants but not as thick of a stem. Longer light periods didn't seem to have any additional benefits.

Some other things I observed is that light deprivation not only makes the plant leggy but the leaves AND roots are smaller in the same timeframe as one that was only 2 inches away from the light. In 3 different tests, burying the extra length of the stem on the leggy plants did not produce any extra roots along the stem (like you get on a tomato plant). I might not have waited long enough to get the extra roots, but the thinner stem and smaller root ball convinced me that even if you could get a few more roots, the plant would not be as healthy overall.

They are amazing plants and I have no doubt that it's not too late. If you give them more light they will respond and recover.

Hope this helps.

4/21/2011 7:58:59 PM

Finksburg, Md

Nice info cntryboy, does the type of fluorescent bulb matter and if so which one is better. Thanks, Joe Z.

4/21/2011 9:25:35 PM

East Jordan, MI

I used one "aquarium/plant" bulb and one "full spectrum" (sunlight) bulb, in a two bulb 4 ft shop light(with reflector) on the suggestion on long standing growers and it works well for me, I didn't try to use "regular" soft white light due to past experiences with starting different plants for the garden over the years.

4/21/2011 9:44:01 PM

Ashby, MA

I just put my plants under the "aquarium/plant" bulb tonight about 1" above the leaves. I'm hoping that slows them down from being leggy. I may be off to a slow start but I'm starting a little early so hopefully they'll recover when I get them in the ground this weekend. By May 1st they should be doing better... I'm hoping anyway. Lesson learned and I'm writing it all down in my journal for next year. I really appreciate all the fantastic advice I get from all of you. Thank you!!

4/21/2011 9:52:30 PM

Weedville,pa

great stuff, cntryboy, I'm definitely going to be applying some of your hard-earned (and graciously-shared) knowledge very soon! thanks!

4/21/2011 9:59:18 PM

Denver, CO

From the tone of this conversation, it seems like it is basically impossible to grow using natural light. Is that true? Nobody has ever had success just puting pots on the windowsill?

4/22/2011 10:47:08 AM

Ashby, MA

From what I'm hearing is that the plants always get "leggy" if you put them on a windowsill. From my recent experience I'd say that's true. I'm still going to try and get my "leggy" plants to grow in my garden. However, as a backup, I'm starting new seeds today and I'm going to use the "grow light" method and see how that works.

4/22/2011 11:08:51 AM

Western PA

Gpierce, as soon as the new ones pop through the soil, put a fan on to create a light breeze blowing on them. It will make them stronger and stockier also. My tomatoes are wider then they are tall, it helps.6 - 8 hous with the fan while the grow lights are on.

4/22/2011 11:28:07 AM

Ashby, MA

I like the fan idea. I'll try that along with the grow light. Thanks!

4/22/2011 11:32:33 AM

East Jordan, MI

Andrew, not impossible at all. Like I said, they will respond as soon as they get enough light. I'm just passing on what I learned to make them short and stocky (which was the question).

At least at my house, I only get about 2 or 3 hours of direct sunlight shining in any window. On top of that a lot of today's windows have tinting to filter UV rays. These things grow FAST and by my observations, if they are growing ABOVE the ground seeking light, they aren't growing as fast below the ground getting strong roots.

Anytime I have ever placed any vegetable planted from seed in a window as the only source of light I get a long skinny light colored plant that leans toward the light, but sitting them outside a few hours a day goes a long way in both hardening them off and giving them the light that they need.

4/22/2011 6:52:07 PM

New Zealand

howdy gpierce last year {my first} knowing very little i used a 5 watt car bulb and my seedlings grew a couple inches over night hit the roof of my chamber and bent over at 90 degrees I thought this was a sign of serious vigour and put the leggiest one in the patch, 9 days from wetting seed the 5 inch pot was root bound and i grew a 1095 in fresh horse manure. I broke a lot of rules due to inexperience but still went big so don't worry bro just support it carefully and bury to cots when you get it in the patch but listen to the good suggestions from these more experienced growers like i am so we can iron out our mistakes. Go hard bro

4/22/2011 8:11:35 PM