One common issue many gardeners have when starting plants from seed is legginess. This is a problem that is normally a result of not enough light and is easy to fix! My current batch of tomato and pepper seedlings is showing signs of legginess and here’s how I intend to fix it!
How to Fix Leggy Seedlings
Better Lighting
I’m doing two things to fix my leggy seedling issues. First I’m putting them under lights to improve the lighting. I started my seedlings in a warm room in my house to help them germinate. While that helped with germination they did not get the light they needed. To fix the lighting issue I moved the flat into our garage on a heat mat with a set of shop lights above them. By keeping the lights close to the tomato seedlings we should be able to improve the leggy condition and make the seedlings grow better!
Plant Tomatoes and Peppers Deep
The other thing to note is that tomato and pepper plants will grow roots all along the stem. This gives us the ability to plant the plants deeper and fix the legginess by encouraging more roots along the stem. When I go to pot the plants in larger containers (repotting tomato plants – upsizing) I’ll plant the seedlings with as much of the stem under the soil as I can. This will allow them to develop roots in more places which will actually make a stronger and better tomato plant!
This is also how I plant tomato plants in the vegetable garden. You can read more about that in this post: The Best Way to Plant Tomatoes. Tomato plants that are planted deeply always perform better than those just planted the depth of the pot.
Hopefully this will help you as you start your seedlings this year! Leggy tomato and pepper seedlings are definitely easy to fix without having to start all over again!
Starting Tomato and Pepper Plants from Seed
How to Save Tomato Seeds from the Garden through Fermentation
Why Do Tomatoes Crack?
How to Treat and Prevent Early Blight on Tomatoes
Pruning off The Lower Leaves of Tomato and Pepper Plants: Limbing Up
