How to get them growing again
If you’ve ever tried to grow plants from seeds, you will be well aware that growing from seed can be confusing at times. Especially if it seems that your seedlings stop growing after a while. So how do you get your seedlings to start growing again?
When your seedlings don’t strive, it is easy to despair or throw in the towel. But don’t give up just yet, because, with a few steps, you can get your seedlings to bounce back. It is all in finding out what the problem is and then taking the steps to treat those problems.
Why did my seedlings stop growing?
A few weeks ago, I started planning out my garden and bought this year’s seeds and soil. Then I planted some of the seeds in a couple of seed trays, and initially, they seemed to be doing quite well. We had put them right up in front of the window so that they would have enough sunshine, and they seemed strong.
But I noticed after a while that their growth seemed to stall a bit. So I did some research, and then some more research, and found out that most likely it was the lack of nutrients they are getting.
You see, I feed them with an organic liquid seaweed feed, which is high in potassium, and makes sure they are nice and strong. Unfortunately, it is not so high in nitrogen and therefore doesn’t help a lot with the growth.
Also, maybe I should have bought starter soil or something but with the shops being closed that was a bit difficult. So I planted in topsoil, and even though it was enriched, it didn’t have the amount of nutrients that the seedlings needed.
Figuring out what the problem is
Now the first things you want to look at when your seedlings stop growing or seem to struggle are sunlight, water, soil, and possible disease. But if your seedling is suffering from a disease, you will want to look up the specific treatment for whatever disease it has.
But the other 3 causes might be easier to fix.
How much direct sunshine are they getting?
You want to make sure they are getting at least 6 hours of sunlight, and if you can provide them with more than that, all the better.
When plants aren’t getting enough sunshine, they tend to become leggy (thin and long). Their leaves will also often turn pale and yellowish, and you will see them bend towards the light.
So make sure you put them in a south-facing windowsill. You can also rotate the pot a bit every day to ensure that the plants won’t bend in any particular direction too much. You could even put a mirror behind them to reflect some extra sunshine onto the plants.
Are they getting enough water?
You might be over- or under-watering your seedlings, and neither are very beneficial for the little plants. You want to let the soil dry out a bit in-between watering, but not let the soil be dry for days.
A good sign that you might be under-watering your seedlings might be that the soil is very dry. Another sign might also be that you have no clue when you last watered them. I know this happens to me sometimes. When plants don’t get enough water, they tend to wilt and droop a bit, and sometimes their leaves will even start to shrivel up and turn brown.
To make sure you water your plants often enough, you can put a daily alarm on your phone to help remind you to check the soil. Then if the soil is dry, you can give them more water. Always make you give your plants plenty of water so that the water can reach the bottom of the pot. Otherwise, you might only be watering the top of the soil, and the roots will still be starving for moisture.
Might they be getting too much water?
Just like under-watering, over-watering will not give your seedlings optimal growing conditions. You don’t want permanently moist soil that continuously drips out of the bottom of your seed tray.
If you water your seedlings liberally every day, you might be overwatering them a bit. In case you’re not being a bit too friendly with the watering can, but the soil still seems too moist, your problem might be poor drainage. If your soil is constantly too wet, your seedlings might droop, and their roots can rot. Once the roots start rotting, it will be very challenging to save your little plants from death. For without roots, they can’t get their nutrients from the soil.
Feel the soil before you water your seedlings to prevent yourself from over-watering your plants. If the soil is still moist, then wait another day to water them. Your soil might be rather clay-heavy with not enough grit to allow for good drainage. If this is the case, then add some sand or perlite to your soil mix to improve the drainage. If the lack of drainage is not because of the heavy soil, then you might want to check if your drainage holes are big and plentiful enough.
Mould growth
Another sign that your soil might be too moist for too long is fungus growing on your soil. The mould might look like white fuzzy blotches or like little red dots. You will want to remove them from your soil and allow for some more air circulation.
Lastly, if your constant high moisture content is enabling mould to grow, try to increase airflow. You can do this by placing them outside on warm sunny days or by making sure they are not too close against walls and windows. If you’re growing your seedlings under a plastic cover, you will want to remove the cover for an hour or two every day to ensure more airflow.
What is the soil quality like?
Any plant will always need enough nutrients from the soil to stay healthy and have good growth. After all, if they are lacking nutrients, it’s no wonder that your seedlings stop growing.
The three most important nutrients for any plant’s growth are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
And if your soil is lacking in these nutrients, it won’t matter how well you water, and how much sunlight they are getting. For, without nutrients, they can’t grow. Initially, they will grow, but this is only because of the stored nutrients in the seed itself. Once there are a couple of true leaves, they will need whatever food they can get from the soil.
So what do these nutrients do?
Nitrogen is mostly responsible for a plant’s growth.
Phosphorus makes sure that your plants will have strong and healthy roots.
Potassium keeps your seedlings healthy by making them more disease resistant.
So make sure that if your soil is not already enriched with plenty of nutrients, that you add some in the way of some good organic liquid fertiliser. That way, you will ensure that your seedlings have enough nutrients to keep growing into strong luscious plants.
Some DIY fertilisers to encourage growth
Of course, you can buy a good balanced organic liquid fertiliser. But if you like to make things yourself, you might want to try a DIY option.
An easy way to make your own liquid fertiliser is by making some plant tea fertiliser. If you prefer a non-liquid fertiliser, you might want to try some leaf mold. You can easily do this by filling a bucket 1/3 full of any plant material and topping it up with some water. Then you let it sit out for a few weeks, during this time, it will get rather pungent, so don’t put it under your kitchen window. Once it has sat there for a few weeks, you can apply it diluted with a watering can.
You will want to use at least a 1 to 5 ratio, meaning that 1 part “tea” is diluted with 5 parts water. But depending on the strength, you can even opt for a 1 to 10 ratio.
There is also a quicker way to make some fertiliser tea, although it won’t be as potent as the previous (longer) method. You simply boil some water and pour it over the leafy matter and let it steep for an hour or so. Then you can use it diluted on your plants.
Some good plants to use for your tea fertiliser, if you are short of nitrogen are nettles, grass clippings, and borage.
If potassium is what your plants are craving, you can use comfrey, dandelion, and seaweed.
To add some phosphorus to your soil, you can use bone meal, which is essentially just ground-up bones. You would not really be able to make this into a liquid tea fertiliser, but you can incorporate it into your soil.
Which plants did you help flourish?
So next time your seedlings stop growing, you will know what to do to get them flourishing again. And if there is anything that is still unclear or you have any other questions send me a DM on Instagram or ask your question in the comment section down below.
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