All it takes is a day or two in the dark for a young sprout to get irreversibly leggy! Provide ample bright light to seedlings immediately after germination.Packed in a tight bunch and harvested young, it also doesn’t really matter if homegrown microgreens become leggy.Īll in all, it is best practice to try to prevent leggy seedlings in the first place. Tomato and tomatillo seedlings are particularly forgiving.
However, many leggy seedlings can be saved (see “how to fix leggy seedlings” below). That practice also comes with the risk of rotting stems. Leggy seedlings are also more prone to ‘damping off’ – a condition when seedlings suddenly wilt, become very thin or rot right above the soil line.Ĭome planting time, not all types of seedlings like to be buried extra deep to compensate for their leggy stems. Especially in the face of wind or other elements. Their top-heavy nature makes them more vulnerable to flopping over, breaking, or other damage. Rather than focusing their energy on developing thick, strong, sturdy stems, leggy seedlings become increasingly thin, fragile, and weak the taller they become. In general, a leggy growth pattern on seedlings is not ideal. They are desperately reaching for the sun!
Paired with being stretched out tall, leggy seedlings will also often lean to one side – towards the direction of the brightest source of light around. Even in our greenhouse (which is partially shaded in the afternoon) we need to use grow lights in order to keep our seedlings happy. This can happen when gardeners start seeds indoors, or when seeds are planted outside in a too-shady location. The primary cause of leggy seedlings is lack of sufficient light, either in brightness or proximity to the plants. The leggy seedlings (left) only received the natural light in our partially-shaded greenhouse (during winter), while the healthier ones on the right were under grow lights for over 14 hours per day (started just a few days later). It’s more about comparing them to healthy seedlings of the same variety that are grown in ideal conditions, which will stay much shorter compared to their less-happy, leggy counterparts. With time and experience, you’ll get a feel for what is considered grossly leggy or not.
There is no exact height that seedlings must surpass to officially classify as leggy.
In the seedling world, taller does not equate to better, healthier plants! On the contrary, thin leggy seedlings are typically quite weak and fragile. Seedlings are described as “leggy” when they grow very tall, skinny, and lanky.
Cosmos seedlings leggy how to#
This article will teach you everything you need to know about leggy seedlings: what they are, why they’re a bit of a problem, how to prevent them, and even how to correct leggy seedlings once they grow!īe sure to also stop by our Seed Starting 101 article for more tips on raising the most robust seedlings possible. Share on Pinterest Share on Facebook Share on X (Twitter) Share on Email Share on RedditĪre you new to growing vegetables, herbs or flowers from seed? Have you ever wondered what’s up with the term “leggy seedlings”? Or, do you have some freshly-sprouted seedlings that are looking extra lean and tall? (Spoiler alert: they might be leggy!) If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you’ve come to the right place.
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