Zone 7b. First seeded both cucumbers and tomatoes indoor first week of March. Used seed starter mixed with coconut cor. Had to repot to a size up. Since repotting, I noticed a drastic slow down in growth. Recently leaves also started turning yellow as I brought them outside for a few hours. I used two growing lights indoor but not sure they are that powerful. I haven’t fertilized them at all. Only water them once every two days to keep the surface damp. My avg last frost day was this Monday. Should I try to plant them outside for a try with some fertilizer or just give up to buy some plants?
by babysza
19 Comments
They look absolutely fine based on the pictures. Just plant outside if there’s no risk of frost.
Plant them outside and give them a little fertilizer. What’s the harm and seeing if they will grow?
Seed starter mix with coconut coir contains no nutrients,
they are starting to grow their first true leaves, so they need to be fed asap.
Start with Fish Emulsion with an NPK of 5-1-1,
give them 1/4 the recommended dosage on the bottle..
Not failed yet. Provide enough light (preferably sunlight), warmth, and fertilizer and they will grow. Keep in mind coco coir has zero nutrients, you must fertilize them to provide food otherwise they will not develop any further. They can grow significantly larger in these pots before moving outside permanently. Last frost date has passed but nighttime temperatures will be cold still for another two weeks or so.
Did you use the seed starter mix when you potted them up? As far as I know, seed starter mix is just good for getting them started, but not good for growth beyond that.
They look fine, re-potting is stressful and going outside for the first time is very stressful on indoor started plants and they can get sun burned or scolded which are those light spots on the plant. You’ll want to harden them off over the course of several days up to a week. Take them out a bit longer each day. Start with only an hour or two at most of direct sunlight in their current container and add more time each day.
After they are hardened off, you can plant out in the ground, raised bed, or a pot depending on how you grow things.
They’re fine.
Yes they look a little sad, but only a little. Definitely not failed yet. Some time outside and more food will probably work wonders. Don’t forget to harden them off before you plant.
I’ve had really bad luck with that type pot. Switched to a durable plastic one with a very open bottom. Those don’t breathe. [Anderson pots](https://stuewe.com/product-category/anderson-pots-flats-trays/) — only found them here in bulk but aside from a finicky variety or two all my stuff is looking great.
They need to be fertilized but I wouldn’t give up on them. That looks like coir, and coir has no nutrients at all.
They need some fertilizer, classic nitrogen deficiency on most of em
Also plant them out asap
Your starts look healthy, but I have had terrible luck with those pots and I’m willing to bet that’s part of why you’re noticing a difference. They leech moisture from the soil and yet also can contribute to mold growth somehow.
Give them nutrients!
These have had no food, they need liquid fertilizer asap so they can make it to your garden. This is what is causing that yellowing. These do not ‘look fine’. Plants are green not yellow. Yellow = deficiency.
Feed them… They need food
They look okay. Just feed them, and get them in the ground when appropriate.
What is up with Reddit. People post perfectly fine plants and captions say “they’re cooked”
They’re fine but
Mine look like these too and the responses say to feed them. What fertilizer should I be using? I am planning to plant this weekend but have others that I’m not going to be planting this weekend.