stunted growth of seedlings

[SmokeStack]

I have seedlings that I have have started from seed around the end of March and beginning of April. The seeds germinated within a few days and everything was looking well. But now, six to eight weeks later, the sprouts are still very small - some only having two or four tiny leaves! I am not sure why the growth of these seedlings have been stunted. I was thinking about adding some fertilizer so I purchased some All Purpose Miracle Grow, but, since the seedlings are so small, I hesitated in adding the fertilizer in fear that they would not tolerate it and die off. Does anyone know why the growth has been stunted and what to do to get them growing? It is already time to be planting in the ground!

Note: The seeds were sown in 72 cell plastic flats using Jiffy seed starting soil. They are placed under blooms with eight 4-foot T-5 light bulbs. I have used the so-called "blue" T-5 light bulbs which emit light for vegetative growth. I have bought some "red" T-5 light bulbs and I was thinking of switching some bulbs so that they get a mixture of light. I have the blooms hanging about 18 inches above the flats. These blooms emit a lot of light.

 

[BigBonner]

6 to 8 weeks they should be big enought to plant by now .

Pictures would be nice .

 

[Jitterbugdude]

It could be your soil mix. I grew 15 different varieties last year. As I was finishing up I ran out of the potting soil I was using so I used some old stuff I found in the basement. I planted Perique in that stuff and after 12 weeks they were little itty bitty runts. All the others were normal size. I sent the runts to a member here, he transplanted them into his soil and they grew nice and big. He harvested the leaves and they all lived happily ever after.

 

[jeapadrenaline]

Just curious, do you have the lights off at all? Plants need a reating period.
I live off grid and cant do artificial light. But i replanted my seedlings once they had 2 true leaves. Some of my small plants are also stunted, i believe its due to the cool temps here, specially overnight as i still get close to frost and my plants are in a plastic greenhouse. No room for them indoors.
I also use all purpose miracle grow, one week after transplant, and only at half strength till they fo outside.

 

[SmokeStack]

The lights are on 16 hours per day / off 8 hours. I will provide some pictures this evening. Maybe I'll experiment with one flat and add half-strength all purpose Miracle-Grow. Maybe it is the Jiffy starting soil. What do you guys use for seed starting soil?

 

[BarG]

6 to 8 weeks they should be big enought to plant by now .

Pictures would be nice .

That would be the case if we knew what you knew. I don't take this for granted anymore, Whoever said it's like growing tomatoes ought to be shot.

 

[jeapadrenaline]

Its my first year too, i used the jiffy pucks at first, thn went to regular poting soil mix, screened it through a window screen and use the fine stuff to start them in. Then as soon as it looks like all has germinated i transplant them into homemade newspaper cups slightly larger than the jiffy pucks. Those i then plant dirctly into the garden when the time comes. For me it will be beginning of june which works good as june 4th is full moon. I found if i transplant on full moons i get better results too. Just like the farmers of times long ago did.

 

[deluxestogie]

The seeds were sown in 72 cell plastic flats using Jiffy seed starting soil.

Yep. It's the soil. Read through my 2012 grow log. I used some of the Jiffy seed starting mix for a small number of my starts. Those seedlings were started in mid March, and are still no bigger than yours. Fortunately, they were duplicates (extras), which I could compare to the same varieties started in other mixes.

This image was taken moments ago. The plant was started 2 months ago in Jiffy Seed Starting Mix.
Note that the wood stick is a skinny popsicle stick.

What I would suggest, rather than waiting another month for them to grow, is to set up some Dixie cups (punched), one for each seedling. Add some Miracle Gro potting soil, then add the whole seedling plug, followed by more Miracle Gro soil. They should take off in a week.

Bob

 

[SmokeStack]

Well, here are a few pictures. Excuse my photography for the blurred images, but you get the point. The tiny seedling were planted (sown) on March 15th (Virginia Bright Leaf). The 2nd photo were planted a week later (Samsun or Izmir - I forgot to label these two trays). In the third photo I planted toward the middle of April (Italian Bright Leaf). I transplanted them to styrofoam cups in Miracle Grow soil. They are big now, but they were fairly large to begin with when I transplanted them. I'll take Bob's advice and transplant them in Miracle Grow soil. It worked well for the Italian Bright Leaf and Yellow Orinoco.

 

[Chicken]

ive noticed some strains just dont grow that quick,,,

i got some in starting trays,,, that are still small,

and others grew so fast , i had to move them from the tray