if your seedlings are 2-4" tall and do not even have thier first set of true leaves you had better get them under the lights quick, they are getting leggy that is why they are drooping. What type of lights do you have?

Dale

Sounds like they are leggy, though it could be they need some water. What sort of seeds are they and what kind of light have they been getting, full sun?

I don't have any lights at all! I was under the impression that they didn't start photosynthesizing until true leaves form, so I was waiting until I saw true leaves start to bud before putting them on my south-facing window sill. I guess I've ruined them!

Half of them are brandywine and the other half are super beefsteak.

cdprop, you need to stick them under lights immediately. I wouldn't say they are ruined but if you can repot them and bury them all the way up to the cotyledons they will be fine. Sometimes the south window may not be enough either.

Dale

Seedlings need light as soon as the seeds germinate. Otherwise what you get is just what you have - long weak stems that can't stand up as they are starved for light.

As said above, transplant them into deeper containers, bury all the stem right up to the bottom of the seedling leaves, and then put them in the window. Likely the window light won't be enough, it seldom is. Fluorescent lights (shop lights) is what is recommended, no more than 1 -2 inch above the plants.

Check out the FAQ on how to grow tomatoes from seed over on the Growing Tomatoes forum and all the FAQs on the Growing from Seed forum for more details.

Good luck!

Dave

Oh man, I don't think I can afford to buy any lights for this. I guess I will just have to wait until spring and buy some plants from the garden center.

A simple four foot $10 shop light will sustain them, if you keep the light within a couple inches of the seedlings. Put them under a counter and hang the shop light with some twine, so you can easily raise it as the plants develop.

Every hour you wait, will just make them more "leggy" and that is not good for their health. The poor sprouts are stretching for light, as is encoded in their DNA. They are not designed for sprouting into darkness.

cdprop, you said you have a south facing window. If you can't afford the lights then go with it. Don't throw the seedlings out. The worst that can happen at the window is they don't do well. You might as well wait and see. I have great success at my south facing window.