Preemptive apology as there are so many posts and subs, I did many searches and didn’t see an answer for my specific issue…so please be kind.
This is my first time growing seedlings indoors but I have experience with…other…types of plants indoors 😉
Located in MA
These are about 4 weeks old ranging varieties. I bottom water every 3-4 days depending on soil moisture, I don’t let it get the lightest brown possible but I let it get dry on top.
I haven’t added any fertilizer whatsoever and started with potting mix.
My question is, do they look weak or disfigured? I think maybe leaf curling applies which from my reading could be numerous things.
The cells are starting to look round so I plan on potting up very soon.
by stickinmud117
10 Comments
Need more details about your setup. Lights, distance, soil, are you adding fertilizer, heat pad, humidity, fans, etc
Marsts1000 16-18” 40%, heating pad only used to germinate – no longer in use. Small fan blowing across tomatoes I rotate the side it blows from every other day. Light schedule is 18/6.
Do you have an outdoor greenhouse they will be going to? Otherwise these look like they were started way too early for MA and may struggle if they need to remain indoors for another 2 months. Usually you would want to start later March, definitely not in early Feb.
They look to me like they may need more/closer light and more nutrients.
I think they’ll be fine after potting up.
Should’ve been potted up by now and fed a diluted feed…
Really appreciate all the help and perspective everyone, thank you
I think they look a little hungry. Maybe feed them some dilute fertilizer and start potting up.
Hi neighbor(sort of)! I’m in NH and I start a lot of tomatoes indoors every year. This year I got started late due to non-growing related circumstances, so i’m just getting my first seedlings to sprout. Like you are doing this year, I start tomatoes in waves, and the early ones will be fairly large come late April/early May. I uppot to 4” pots first (littler ones to 3” pots). Then I uppot those in need to 6” pots. A small number generally end up in 3/4 gallon pots. They’re fine indoors until it’s time to begin hardening them off.
I would say yours definitely need to be thinned out down to one plant per cel now. I would keep the sturdier extras and toss really spindly ones.
When I uppot from cels using my basic mix of peat (or coir), perlite, and vermiculite, I add a bit of Tomato Tone, being careful not to overdo it, along with bat guano and azomite. I already will have used worm castings in my seed starting mix to help them along until they’re potted up and to provide organic matter for the mycorrhizal/humic acid powder I use in weak solution when watering. When potting up, I water them in with liquid fish fertilizer and occasionally reapply in weak solution.
I keep a small fan going that I move around to make sure everybody gets a bit of the action.
I say all this in reassurance that plants started early can do well until you’re ready to take them outside.
Those look good to me, might be ready for an up-pot!
they are starving, feed