A couple of years ago I p... - Ask Extension
A couple of years ago I purchased a real nice 8x 8 greenhouse and several germination
heat pad to start my seeds. The first couple of years I started...
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A couple of years ago I p... #173249
Asked April 05, 2014, 2:38 AM EDT
A couple of years ago I purchased a real nice 8x 8 greenhouse and several germination
heat pad to start my seeds. The first couple of years I started and raised some really nice plants, tomatoes peppers etc. but in the last couple of years my seeds germinate and then never get strong and healthy then finally die. I started some tomato plants almost a month ago and the plants are only about two inches tall with the main stems little more than .005" in size. What am I doing wrong?
I have spent a considerable amount fo money getting into this hobby and it has really turned into a flop.
HELP
Don N
Grantsville, Utah
Tooele County Utah
Expert Response
Don,
This is an interesting question and I am sure is very frustrating. Without more information it is hard for me to give you a definitive answer, but I will share some thoughts as to what it might be. These are in no particular order, but are things you may want to consider:
Good luck!
This is an interesting question and I am sure is very frustrating. Without more information it is hard for me to give you a definitive answer, but I will share some thoughts as to what it might be. These are in no particular order, but are things you may want to consider:
- Greenhouse covering material. Unless it is a glass greenhouse, the quality of the light transmission will decline with time. A couple of years shouldn't be long enough for that to happen, but you may want to look at your covering and see if it has yellowed or become opaque with time. If the light is reduced, you would see it as spindly, leggy plants that don't stay robust.
- Disease. With each greenhouse crop you should be using new soil and clean pots, flats, etc. It is also a good idea to make sure bench tops, tools, and other things that come in contact with the soil are clean. A 10% chlorine bleach solution can be used to sterilize plastic pots and bench tops. Or, you can buy products such as XeroTol. With soil the best thing is to just buy a new bag of potting mix each year.
- Fertilizer. You don't mention what kind of fertilizer you are using, but you should make sure it is the same as what you used in previous years. Fertility is challenging because you need to hit a middle ground and it is easy to have too much or too little.
- Temperature. If you aren't already doing so, it might be helpful to get a couple of thermometers and make sure your temperatures are where you want them. Bottom heat mats can fail with time so make sure they are still providing heat and at the level you want.
- Heater control. Sometimes heaters don't work correctly and they can produce ethylene gas which can be toxic to plants such as tomatoes. Make sure vents, thermostats, connections, etc are all working correctly.
- It does sound like you have good quality seeds if they are germinating well, so I don't think that is a problem.
Good luck!
