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Growing Cabbages from seed

• Message 1. 

  Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Friday, 9th March 2012

  I have started growing my cabbages from seed in a seed tray ona window sill they are about 2/3 to 1 in high and very close together obviously I will need to thin them out a bit but what else can I do to stop them growing thin, spindly and to form into actual plants that I may be able to transplant into the soil. Any help would be appreciated as I have tried and failed many times with plants getting very spindly and leggy.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Friday, 9th March 2012

  Try and space them out more when planting the seed. More light should stop them getting thin and spindly althougfh they look that way.
  
  Only transplant into individual pots when they have true leaves showing, not just the big round ones (cotyledons), when transplanting pick them up by these big 'seed leaves' and not the stalk and plant them in soil down to the base of their 'true leaves'. Cheers, Tony.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Friday, 9th March 2012

  Thanks for the advice

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Friday, 9th March 2012

  Click on pricking out in the " related links" and you will find some pictures on how to prick out your seedlings;
  
  

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• Message 5

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  Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Monday, 12th March 2012

  Have thinned out the 1/23 seed trays so there are only about 6 plants in each tray but they are still very spindly and thin how can I get them to grow thicker and encourage further leaves to form other than the original two at the top of the stem when they first grew. They are now about 3 - 4 ins high. I took the cling film cover off as soon as green shoots were showing. The same is happening with my cucumber which I planted in individual yoghurt pots.

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Monday, 12th March 2012

  Plant them deeper ie upto the the pair of seed leaves and give them the maximum light you can give them.
  
  It is lack of light that is making them spindly.
  
  I won't be sowing my brassicas for another couple of weeks yet, so by the time I get to your stage the days will be a bit longer.
  
  Regarding the cucumbers I would say you have sown these a tad early, I won't sow mine till the last week in April or first in May!

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• Message 7

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  Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Monday, 12th March 2012

  I have checked the seed packets and both say plant indoors from February. I do however have time to replant some if your timing is correct and these completely fail. Are you suggesting that I should transplant them from the seed trays into their individual 3in flower pots now ?
  
  This question was asked on a Brighton Hove Albion fans website and it was suggested that they should be put out so they are into the open for a few hours a day so that the wind gets at them and shakes them up. It was linked to a site Homeorchardsociety.org which suggested the same about shaking them to make them stronger. So I am a little bewildered.

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Tuesday, 13th March 2012

  The key word on the packet is; FROM!
  
  What you must bear in mind these seeds packets are probably distributed world wide, so somewhere these conditions will apply to someone so the trades description situation is covered!
  
  
  As I mentioned previously; choose what it says on the packet, I will sow mine in about a couple of weeks time and have done so around this time for the last thirty plus years and it has always worked for me.
  
  
  Yes I am suggesting that you prick out into 3" pots as seen in the slide show under pricking out in my previous reply.
  
  
  
  Shaking them is a new one on me but in gardening it is often a case of each to their own, so I won't question their wisdom.
  
  Once you have pricked them out into 3" pots then yes you can harden them off which is what I think these people are suggesting.
  
  Do this by placing the pots in a cold frame or a protected spot to accustom them to outdoor conditions.
  
  
  
  What I would also do in say a couple of weeks time is sow a few more a) for back up and b) for continuity.
  
  That is; these will mature a bit later than your first batch so extending your harvesting period.
  
  Just a word of warning as I don't know how much planting space you have, plant out 50% of the area with plants from the first batch,then the other 50% from the second batch.
  
  What you are likely to find is that even if the first batch were sown 4-6 weeks before the second batch it is quite probable that the second batch will be ready within a couple of weeks of the first.
  
  
  I home this reply does not add to your bewilderment,....Tg
  
  
  

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• Message 9

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  Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Tuesday, 13th March 2012

  Many thanks all is now perfectly clear. Living in Sussex I assume that the warmer weather is usually with us first so use that as guide. I will however take your advice re planting in two batches . Once again many thanks.

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• Message 10

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  Posted by spenny30 (U15188472) on Friday, 16th March 2012

  I have started growing my cabbages from seed in a seed tray ona window sill they are about 2/3 to 1 in high and very close together obviously I will need to thin them out a bit but what else can I do to stop them growing thin, spindly and to form into actual plants that I may be able to transplant into the soil. Any help would be appreciated as I have tried and failed many times with plants getting very spindly and leggy.  I have had a similar problem in the past but now sow the seeds in plastic seed tray modules which provide individual cells in various numbers and sizes. I find
  This makes seed sowing more controllable and also makes any necessary thining
  easy too. Hope you find this useful
  
  Spenny

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