What do I do wrong with seeds?

[SheWoreYellow]

Usually when I plant seeds they germinate fine but then go all pale and spindly.

The internet says this may be due to too much light or too little. Helpful.

I have tried them on a south facing window sill and under a velux, sometimes supplemented with a plant growing lamp thing.

Anyone have better success growing seeds indoors? If so, what’s your setup?

How early are you sowing? At what point do you prick them out?
New gardeners are often too keen to sow early. I rarely put anything in before late March. Chillis and tomatoes are the only ones I sow earlier.

It does sound like lack of light, a window sill is often ok just to germinate but once through I try to get mine into greenhouse asap.

I’m usually sowing about now, aiming to get them out for the end of may (live in Scotland).
Ah that’s interesting. I don’t have a greenhouse so am I doomed?! I could try the lamp.

I tend not to get to the pricking out stage, they all go so leggy so quickly I just watch them all collapse.
Maybe I need to prick out sooner.

I was listening to a garden podcast, may have been RHS or The Dirt, but I'm not sure. They had an expert discussing seeds and he said that all seedlings can be replanted deeper when you prick them out and the thin little stem just becomes root!
I've done this loads and it works. Drop them down carefully to the first seed leaves, like you do with tomatoes.
Its possible that you are keeping them too warm if they are very leggy.

Oh yes I always prick out deeper!
If they germinate and then collapse it's called damping off, they won't recover from that.

You are giving too much heat and not enough light. You really just want them.to show above compost and then immeciately move outside to slow growth and keep them short and stocky. I grow thousands of seeds professionally every year and thats how I do it. I removed tagetes seeds from propagator today as they just started up, they are in a warm room to finish unfurling. Then sheltered outside - 10 degrees then into house at night. After a few weeks you have nice fat, short seedlings.

Theyd be less leggy if you put them on an East or West facing window. They'd prefer south facing when a bit more mature.

Aha. I think you are right.

So once they’ve germinated, how can I move them outside without them freezing? Wait till the end of may? Bring them in at night? Buy them a house?

Thanks everyone!

I do what others have said and replant deeper once they're ready to pot on.

@ThisisMax

You are giving too much heat and not enough light. You really just want them.to show above compost and then immeciately move outside to slow growth and keep them short and stocky. I grow thousands of seeds professionally every year and thats how I do it. I removed tagetes seeds from propagator today as they just started up, they are in a warm room to finish unfurling. Then sheltered outside - 10 degrees then into house at night. After a few weeks you have nice fat, short seedlings.

That’s interesting to know, thank you!

I bring in at night, out during day unless freezing. I want small,tight plants ready to grow on in May rather than big huge leggy ones. I top dress all seeds in grit and only sow in deep pots not trays and water from base.

I'll tell you what I'm doing wrong having been wondering for a few weeks why my seeds were not coming up... I had forgotten to water the tray which holds the individuals pots and had watered the dish instead holding them. Impossible for them to have reached that water

I’m formulating a plan, then. Thanks!

So why do we use seed trays at all, if they then need transplanting? Why not just use (possibly fewer seeds) in deeper pots from the start?

@SheWoreYellow

I’m formulating a plan, then. Thanks!

So why do we use seed trays at all, if they then need transplanting? Why not just use (possibly fewer seeds) in deeper pots from the start?

Space, pure and simple. You’re constrained for space as you sow them, so pack them together in trays or cells. As you transplant them, some of them start moving outside and space is less of a problem.

Actually there is the other thing, that soil seems to go stale if it’s not doing anything, so you wouldn’t want them in too big a pot

I grow all my seeds in a deep pot, soil does not go stale, seeds dont dry out and you get much better root systems. I never use trays.

Just another thought...I recently heard about the half-pot method. You plant the seeds in a pot half full of compost. If they get a bit leggy, just very carefully top up the pot a little, enclosing some of those leggy stems. I've tried it and it works, although it takes a steady hand to infill around the fragile stems.