plugs???

define plugs!!!!

pure peat plugs may be too acidic... leading to chlorotic plants ...

peat .. pots or plugs.. are easy and fun to work with.. and nearly impossible to use.. in my very limited experience ...

next time... try 6 oz solo cups.. filled with a nice seed starting medium .... slice the bottom edge of the cups with a razor blade for drainage ....

or start them in a tin foil square aluminum foil pan ... dollar store.. and learn to pot them up to the 6 oz cups at the second leaf stage... fresh new medium ...

ken

Sorry. These have a biodegradable outside -- like pressed, dried straw or hay? And inside is supposed to be just regular germinating mix. They sit in a tray, and you can bottom water them. I suppose I should have been leery when a place like Gardener's Supply Company only sold them for one year. Do you think these are salvageable, or should I toss them and start over? MacThayer

macthayer,

"I feed them a dilute form of fertilizer at this point, so they should be getting fed."

Just out of curiosity, what fertilizer are you feeding them? A nutrient deficiency is a possibility, with nitrogen being at the top of the list. If you had it available, I would feed them a dilute (¼ tsp/gal) mix of potassium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. Incidentally, what kind of water are you using?

"They sit quite close to the grow lights, so there shouldn't be a problem with too little light."

How close? Closer than an inch could actually be too hot for them.

MM

i only learn by experimenting .... so why quit now ....

try fixing it ...

try removing some from the pots ... into cups...

just try a bunch of stuff.. something is bound to work ...

ken

Hi Again. Well, they are growing, so at this point they could be getting too close to the lights. To my eye, it looks like more than an inch, but I'll "up" it. The fertilizer is an organic fertilizer from Gardener's supply, and the contents say:
"6, 12, 6 plus humic, amino acids and other organic nutrients for a healthy diet."
I will, as you say, "experiment." Can't hurt at this point. First thing I'm going to do is take them out of those little plugs. I have a feeling this bottom watering just isn't getting enough nutrients to the plants, and if I try to top water, it just makes the soil soggy and we all know how bad that can be for seedlings. Fortunately, I can cut off the coating, and pop the interior plug into whatever I want. I have a ton of leftover pots (I save all my pots and re-use them) so there's no shortage there. Will keep you posted. MacThayer

Hi Again. This is another follow up. I had intended to "experiment" on these petunias, leaving some where they were, and moving others. However, it then occurred to me: "What do I do when an outside plant is not doing well? I MOVE it!" So I potted up all of the petunias. I have to say, the growing medium they were in felt more "peaty" than the outside packaging led you to believe, so perhaps you were right Ken -- environment was too acidic. They didn't have much of a root structure (probably because I'd done so much top watering). So far, one has died (it was in bad shape to begin with -- almost didn't bother to pot it up), and the rest seem to be holding their own, as in neither improving or worsening. Of course, it's only been a few days. I've lifted the lights so they're about 6 inches about the plants now. I'm encouraged. If they were going to die, you'd think they'd start looking worse by now. I will keep you posted, and I will certainly keep you posted if they start to improve. Thanks again for all your help. MacThayer

Peters fertilizer makes a fert just for petunias. They are heavy feeders and will go clorotic very fast. One way to keep color with out a ton of growth is a fertilizer with iron (fe). The fert is called Petunis FeED. Notice the Fe in FeED. It has double the iron than standard ferts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jacks Petunia FeED

I'd try giving them a fertiliser that is higher in nitrogen. Try one with an analysis of 3:1:2.

Hi Everyone who Helped! Thanks so much! I just moved my petunias into the greenhouse and they are a lush green and thriving now. One has even bloomed already! I will keep a close eye on the fertilizer this summer, but it was so nice to bring them back from the brink of death. Thanks again!
MacThayer

Multifloras are often more compact. Their flowers are smaller than the grandifloras, but they tend to grow faster, bloom more freely, and have more weather-resistant petals. Multifloras are also available in single or double forms, though most are singles. Typically, they're massed together to create big splashes of color in the garden. Multifloras can also be spaced about a foot apart.
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williamgeorge
SuperBabyGuide

last year I was new to Petunia's and all the leaves were coming out white in my new babies from seed. I tried everything, new soil, change of pH, 4 month slow release fertilizer, Epsom salts in the water, Iron.. etc etc. Then someone said to me your over watering them! So I reduced how much I watered..allowed them to dry quite a bit in between watering and with other plants that were getting white leaves.. or very pale ones.. and hey.. he was right.. they all turned green in about 10 days. I was killing plants with kindness!

I was killing plants with kindness!

==>> i often say.. we kill more things with TOO MUCH LOVE... rather than benign neglect ... short of simply not watering them ...

often.. too many peeps.. forget that half the plant is roots .. and fail to focus on that part ... never forget.. roots need air.. as much as water ... so drowning them.. is not always the best way to go ..

ken