The Cottage Smallholder

Hello Flano60- where are you growing your seedlings?

Sounds like they could do with some more light. If you don't want to risk them getting singed on a sunny windowsill ( brassicas can burn in the sun!) you could put some aluminium foil around the seed trays to increase the light level. If your seedlings are in a tray, a really good way of improving light levels is to get an old cardboard box that will fit your seedlings, slice it in half diagonally, so you have two boxes that are open/shallow on one side and high on the other. Line ithem with aluminium foil, put the seed trays in the boxes on the windowsill. This will bounce the light around the seedlings and they will be less leggy.You can also do this just by putting a sheet of foil behind the tray so the light bounces from both directions. Let the leaves get a bit larger and the roots develop a bit more then carefully re-pot them putting them lower down in the pot. Don't go for a pot that is larger this first time unless the roots are coming out of the bottom of your previous pot. Each time you re-pot the seedlings, put them a little lower down and give yourself some space to build the soil up, combining this with extra light,gradually you will reduce the 'legginess" of your seedlings!

Sounds like you had the same problem with the Tomatoes, so making a cardboard box propagator will work for all your seedlings for years to come.

Hope that helps!

Let me know if it helps!

It's a Geoff Hamilton top practical tip from years back, works like a dream. That reflector foam for behind radiators works a treat to.

Hurrah!