My "crippled" Tomatoe Seedlings....

I posted this on the Tomato Forum within someone elses Post who is also having issues with the Tomatoes.....

Gonna ask your opinions here as well...

I KNOW i am not the only one this year that is having problems with seedlings just staying minute! All kinds of seedlings!!!! Sowed them all same as last year! Under the same lights! My Daturas. My Basil. My whatever else--all seem to be lagging behind...Can't even consider planting them in beds yet--as most of my seedlings are only 1"-2" tall at this point...

BUT-----My concern is my Tomato seedlings--and maybe some of you might have some EDUCATED guesses as to what is wrong with them....

The Tomatoes were all sowed on March 23. Cherokee Purple, Sun Gold, and Potato Top. The only ones that have done well are my Mortgage Lifters. They are already in 4" pots--even though they are also so much smaller than last year.
The daturas and Basils and all the rest were sowed on March 13.

Last year--I sowed my Tomatoes on march 1st--and they simply grew too large too soon. Planted them in the bed the 3rd week of April--keeping my fingers crossed--and they were already 10"-12" tall...They barely fit under a 5gal. bucket the ONE night it was a bit too cold and i covered them with the buckets...
So--I thought this year, i would wait a couple of weeks as I was too early last year.

I have not done anything "weird" to these tomatoes. have not fertilized...have sprayed the seedlings once or maybe twice with water with H2O2 in it...That's all! I have a 10oz spray bottle and I added maybe 1/4tsp of H2O2 to it....

Here are 3 of the cell packs...The seedlings look almost "crippled"---hardly any true leaves on them yet! They have been outside in filtered light now for quite a while--and nothing is changing....
I almost think they are all a lost cause.....Waiting for Carolyn to chime in on the Tomato Forum....Whatever she says--goes!

These are the 3 cell packs of Cherokee Purple, Sun Golds and the Potato Tops.....
YUK!

Here is a closer look at the Cherokee Purples....
Like--it has now been 7 weeks!!!!!

I actually think these are the "best" of the 3 varieties....
The Mortgage Lifters are OK--they are already in 4" pots.....All seeded the same time.....

And here is a closer look at the Sun Golds.....Luckily--I can buy Sun Golds at a neighborhood Plant Stand....at least it says on they list that they carry them.....All I need is ONE of each!!!!!

Any ideas you might have are welcome!

This year I used the "Jiffy Mix" seed Starting mix.....The only difference....I think last year I used Scotts Seed Starter--but not sure.....Can't be THAT big a difference!!!! However--ALL my seedlings are lagging behind......
Someone else posted on the Tomato Forum from WA--and she was having all the same issues.....WEIRD!!!!

Thanks to you all--oh, wise ones!!!!!

Gita

Gita - having the same issues with my basil - I finally moved them outside on the deck in hopes they will start growing...I had all of mine in the kitchen under lights - MG's, tropicals etc. same problem - MG's didn't do much until I moved them outside - could be the Jiffy mix is doing it - I started them all in the little Jiffy "thingys"

Bec--this problem must be so broad this Spring! They were even talking about it on Radio a few days ago!
Have NO idea WHAT is to blame!!!!

All the plants I started from seed seem to be growing alot slower. I have had them outside for weeks. The only theory I can think of is the amount of rain we have had maybe leaching nutrients out of the soil. It is possible this could happen quicker for plants in pots because of the limited space. I am going to add some organic fertilizer to the pots to see if it makes a difference.

wisdom...

None of my plants have been in soil yet.....They are sitting on my patio table under a high roof and the rain has not, really, affected them.....other than less sunshine....

Like you said--ALL my seedlings are extremely slow and small this year--but these tomatoes look like they are crippled by something.....Just NO leaves growing on them--and I have 5-6 cell packs full of them! Might have to chuck them.....
Still waiting for Carolyn's opinion.........

Gita, I've had similar problems with most of my seedlings growing really slowly or not at all. This is mere superstition on my part, but I'm blaming it on the low sunspot activity that I keep hearing about-- because it couldn't be my fault, right? ;-).

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/01apr_deepsolarminimum.htm

I went ahead and planted out several 'Flame' tomato seedlings despite the fact that they were very tiny and they have been growing a little better in the ground. My others (White Wonder and Amish Paste) looked so bad that I started over. I can't tell yet if they're going to do any better this time around.

I found this webpage about different diseases affecting tomatoes. See if any of these sound like the ailments affecting your tomato seedlings.

http://tomatoguru.com/tomato-diseases.html

I did find the solar article very interesting.

kubileya--

I read the Sunspots article......nowhere does it compare the findings of that with growing seedlings or vegetables.....
How do you connect the sun-spot activity to growing seedlings? I'm just interested....

wisdom--
I looked at your link too.....None of those diseases seem to fit what is NOT happening to my Tomato seedlings....
Thank you both for helping......Gita

Like I said Gita, just superstition and speculation. Less solar radiation, colder temps-- it's just my own opinion that it's got to have an effect. The Medieval cooling period associated with the solar minimum that occurred in the 17th century was accompanied by widespread crop failures and famines as weather patterns grew colder and growing seasons became more erratic. Now, I understand that correlation does not equal causation, but the effects of sunspot activity on the Earth's weather patterns is not well understood, even today. So who knows? Since I can't find any other explanation for why my heat-loving crops are struggling this spring, I tell people it's the sunspots' fault when they ask how my seedlings are coming along, but I say it with a wink and a smile.

My guess will be--combo of much cloudy dim weather and your Jiffy mix being too wet. I used it once and felt it stayed pretty soggy. So then you're fighting root suffocation all the time. Moving them into bigger pots while they are small continues the struggle.
I feel like my seedlings are struggling more or less too. Even though they're in the basement with time lights. As yours get some outside light, I think with all the cloud cover, they aren't getting the rgiht clues from nature either, to grow. So many people feeling the same, leads me to think the weather has to be part of it.

I guess I'll buy the too wet.....Sometimes, in haste--I just poured water in the tray and let them absorb it....Perhaps too much! I'll not use Jiffy Mix again! I think last year I used MG seed Starting Mix....or, maybe Scotts???

Was last year all that much better with all the environmental aspects discussed here?

Still haven't heard from Carolyn---I even sent her a D-mail yesterday.....

Well--I DO have healthy Mortgage Lifters and NisiNJ is going to give me one Ch. Purple.....
I can buy a Sun Gold at the Hubers produce Stand.....and I have an early Girl already growing......I think I will be OK!

Thanks to all for your help and 'diagnosis".....

Gita

Here's my tomatoes (from seed) last year sometime in mid-May......much better, NO?

No help here, but have the same problem. I put my tray of seedlings outside on the slates. They are speeding up. Other seeds that didn't start at all, are starting. I think I need better lights and a form of bottom heat for next year. I keep my place quite cool in winter.

Do you think, perhaps, many of us have lowered the thermostats in our homes? Most people did due to the increase in fuel costs. Perhaps many seeds start better at 70 degrees than at 65 degrees.

I just hope that I get some kind of tomatoes this year. It will be really frustrating to have to buy plants at this point.

Speaking of frustrating, I broke my shovel's handle today, then got a screwdriver stuck in the handle stump while trying to get it out. Beware of Blondes with Tools. I was so frustrated, I sprayed the entire assembly with WD40 and went inside for some Jasmine Green Tea (my fave, lately). Gardening can be so relaxing....

haha GQ- can sympathize!

Gita:

Maybe if you were to buy just a very small bag of MG potting mix--or anything other than what you used--and transplant some of them up to their first leaves (which is what the "experts" recommend anyway). Perhaps you could use a tall container. I use leftover Dunkin Donuts styrofoam cups (the large size) if I want to bury the tomato deeply. (Mine are always leggy.)

The Cherokee Purple I am bring to the swap for you is definitely NOT leggy--because I didn't grow it! It came from a greenhouse.

I went to a front yard heirloom plant sale which was advertised in our local Craigslist. The lady had these tiny seedlings in little 6 oz styrofoam drinking cups---only HALF filled with dirt! I put them in the larger cups and they took off.

I realize that your seedlings have something else going on besides not enough soil. I'm just saying maybe they might respond to a change of soil even at this point...?

Denise

Thanks, Nisi---I am thinking i will give it a GO and plant some of them on anyway-----NOT bringing any to the Swap, as i do think that they are VERY inferior!

Got all my "Requested" plants tagged and boxed today! Also all the extras.....Been really multi-tasking today!!!!! Have out-of-town company coming here for the WHOLE next
weekend....(5 days!).
So--been also chopping and dicing for next week. Also--same thing for the Potato Salad I am bringing to Holly's....Pickles are made!

LONG story on the company coming.....Kind of exciting.....Have to get my house vacuumed and orderly.....Lots of picking up and vacuuming to do......preparing some food and such!

I DID use just the small bags of Seed Starting mix! I just used a different brand (Jiffy Mix) than last year. Maybe i can blame it on that?????

NOT gonna lose sleep over it! It is ONLY a plant!!!! My way of looking at things!!!

See you soon! Gita