Jai_Ganesha said:Philip is correct. These plants have been given too little light or low-quality light. They are etiolated.
I would start over, in the ground--especially with cucurbits. There's no real reason to start them as transplants. It can do more harm than good.
Goodmorning Jai & everyone,
I think I need to clarify some things about seed germination before next Spring. I have struggled for many years trying to figure out how to do it successfully. Heck, I just found out about scarification and stratification two years ago.
I can't afford heat mats (I actually tried heating pads and shop lights - that didn't work,) and this year I found one of those portable aluminum frame "greenhouses" that has plastic zippered covers. I put my radiator heater in front of the open greenhouse and kept the ceiling fan on. Everything I had in there (except for sesame seed) germinated. Everything gets full sunlight in my sun room so I assumed that would be pretty much the same as being outdoors. NOPE.
So I started carrying them all outside during the day (65°-70°) for air circulation and real sun and would bring them back in at night.
I lost every one of the cucumbers to dampening off, the ageratum seedlings all disappeared, the melons all grew like the pictures I posted and the cabbage actually just stopped growing after the first set of true leaves. I am nursing along the one kandy melon left, the zucchini (just breaking soil), and the tomatoes which look great and are grwing their first sets of leaves.
I guess I'm getting confused about what to put in the fridge (the damp paper towel and baggie method), or cold frame or what to put in a portable greenhouse or what to germinate with seed mats and flouro lights, etc. I guess I need to go back to just sewing the seeds in the ground until I can get some help understanding how to use these different processes. Does anyone know where i could get several seed mats at a senior discount or inexpensively?
I'm not even sure if I'm making any sense right now at all?
By the way, I planted all the gourds and melons that etiolated into the ground yesterday and they all seem to be doing well today - thank goodness!
Thanks to anyone for help, Terri
