Even a south facing window will not supply enough light to grow healthy tomato plants. The fact that your plants have no true leaves yet and were planted in Feb. confirms that too.

I would start over and purchase a grow light. Good luck.

Those seedlings are fine. They may not be the best ever, but from I see in those pictures they look salvageable. It wasn't clear from your comment, but even though those egg cartons are paper, I would be sure to take each seedling and the surrounding soil out and transplant each one to a larger (4" - 6" deep x 3" - 4" wide) container with drainage holes. If you're using the egg cartons with a 'reuse' mentality, a sour cream or ricotta type container with at least 4 pencil-sized holes will work. After 3 days to a week, if the seedlings don't regain a little color, then use a diluted soluble fertilizer. However, you said that it's Miracle Gro soil, so it shouldn't need fertilization.

Sure, a light can be better (or at least provide for a bit more control over the conditions) but if you like, maybe you have one of those directional desk lamps around the house. Put a fluorescent screw-in bulb in it and aim it at the plant to supplement the window light. Leave the light on 24 hours a day, or maybe just turn it off during the hours of direct sun. The direct sun will always be better than a light bulb.

Oh, and if you want to start a few more seeds to hedge your bets, it's certainly not too late to do that also.

agree with rgreen here....however, be careful not to waterlog your seedlings. They are not drinking now....so evaporation is the only thing you are replacing.

Tomato plants have a very different root structure than peas. Tomatoes are tap root plants and need deeper containers. Long before now the tap root reached the bottom of the egg crate and began to coil. That caused the stunted growth.

Sorry to disagree with some of the above comments but seeds planted in early February should easily be 6-8" tall plants by now with several sets of true leaves and ready to go to the garden, not merely cotyledon development. Further you are over-watering the small cells.

So if you want to salvage them then they each need to be transplanted into new containers at least 3" deep in fresh mix. And for best results you'll need to provide some additional light.

And as already mentioned, remove the egg carton material from any plant before transplanting. Leaving it in place only further stunts the plants.

There are many great FAQs with all the details about how to grow from seed over on the Growing from Seed forum here. Well worth reading them.

Dave

Thanks for the input everyone. I found some fluorescent "grow lights" at Lowes and ordered deep, 4" pots to transplant. I'll have to move these guys to the basement at that point. Those lights had better do the trick!

digdirt- at the risk of being argumentative, the only thing I disagree with is the over watering. I live in California, the window sun here gets hot enough to completely dry out the dirt in those small cells. Bone dry in a few hours. Thusly, I have to mist (or drench, I'll be honest) twice a day at least to avoid sad, droopy plants. However, I'll be transplanting away from window sun soon, so I'll take your water advice to heart in the new conditions.

thanks!

You, sir, are a wealth of information.

Okay, bit the bullet and spent way too much money at Lowes. New pots to transplant will be here today or tomorrow. Gonna have to settle for yard soil and fertilizer for new mix. Let's hope this helps the poor plants out. (My mother asked if I'm growing pot, haha)

" Gonna have to settle for yard soil and fertilizer for new mix."

Ok that is going to cause you some problems. Soil/dirt isn't recommended for use in containers, especially small ones, because it compacts, drains poorly, and smothers or rots roots. But if you have no choice then you'll have to be extra careful with the water, cut way back with it. Try to find something to mix in with it to make it lighter, less likely to compact - compost, vermiculite, perlite, left over potting mix, etc.

Dave

I started mine on 2/21/16 and now they are 6"-8". some taller.

They need right amount of heat, lights and moisture.

Sey

I bet starting over from germinating new seeds instead of trying to coax these "over two month old seedlings" out of their funk, would yield faster and better results.

I might have to try new ones, you're right.

Dave- once again, excellent advice. I'll look into options for loosening up the soil.

I'm back. Please don't run. Haha

I heeded everyone's advice and got these tomatoes and peppers under grow lights and in some new 4" pots with fresh potting mix. I only water the tray when the soil looks dry on all of them, otherwise I spot mist where they look dry.

Theres another grow light to the right, too.

My questions:

1.) when do I need to start giving these guys a night time? Currently I just leave the lights on all the time as the garage gets darned cold. I even have a 120W spot light pointed at them for warmth. I'm a lazy person, what will happen to the plants if they don't get a night time?

2.) I planted these about 4 weeks ago, give or take one. Do they look about right for that age, or stunted? Leggy? Pathetic? Just fine, carry on soldier?

3.) Hardening off sounds scary. Set the trays outside each morning and bring them in at night for a week or two? Don't over think it? I feel like I'll come outside to find dried, black husks of what used to be tomato seedlings because my black thumb always wins in the end.

Also, Ncrealestateguy was on to something when he suggested starting over. I started cayenne pepper seeds about two weeks ago and moved them into pots under the grow lights as soon as I saw shoots and they're already outstripping the egg carton peppers I started four weeks ago. Trial and error I guess.

Thanks guys.

I would not recommend more than 16 hours of light per day. Anything more than that will stress the plants quite a bit. You may start to see this manifest as creamy / yellow variegation and stunted growth.

Your 4 week old seedlings are way too small compare to mine. My seeds were sowed on March 8/9, the picture was taken on April 5. Less than 4 weeks.

The size of your seedlings is similar to my second batch, which are about 10 days old. But the difference on growing speed could be the temperature. At least your seedlings look quite normal to me.

I'm a newbie too, but I was told to turn on your grow light no more than 16 hours a day. The plants need sleep time as well. I placed my seedlings in one spare bedroom, so it is about 64F at night even in the dark. If you have to turn on the spot light to heat the garage, I would recommend you cover your seedlings to make them a dark environment.

Hardening isn't an easy step. I had died a few plants last year. You need to take it slowly. A few hours in shade first for couple days, then longer time, then half sun, then full sun.

Overall, growing from seeds is not an easy task. it takes lots of care and efforts to make a healthy plant. If you can't commit your time and patience and don't grow a lots of plants, buying mature seedlings from nurseries is much easier.

Nice setup, but you might put the foliage closer to the lights. The foliage should really be just 2-3 inches away from the bulbs. In one picture above they looked at be about a foot below. Don't worry, the lights won't hurt them!

I agree - 16 hours of light is enough. Also those plants look OK to me for four weeks. You haven't mentioned temperature, but be sure they're warm. You don't say where you are, but in many parts of the country now, unheated basements will be pretty chilly. If the basement is indeed chilly, just throw a cover over the whole setup and let the bulbs heat the space. Cool temps will slow growth dramatically. You're shooting for 70F or so.

Anybody know of studies showing that non-photo period sensitive plants need darkness? Years ago, when I was involved with indoor growing of photo period sensitive plants, the research showed that during seedling, or vegetative growth phases, and contrary to popular opinion, there was no need for darkness. The belief was due to the human tendency to anthropomorphize.

That said, the same studies also showed that there was such a small difference in growth between 16 - 18 hour light periods, and continuous light that it was cost effective to shut the HID lights off for a few hours to save on electricity.

Now, this was 25 - 30 years ago and it wasn't tomatoes nor any other vegetable crop. I did a web search and found a complicated study showing that with certain lights, 24 hours was better for tomatoes, but it was too intricate for my desire to learn the terms and equipment. I found lots of statements that 16/8 was needed for tomatoes, but nothing based on serious research.

K, so put the lights right on those plants and get them warm. Anyone have any cheap solutions for heat? I'm thinking plastic wrap or foil around the whole setup...

The purpose of fluorescent light is not to provide needed heat/temperature but JUST light. So if the ambient is cold need to find another source for heat. Bu keeping the light close ( 1/2") can help just a little bit.

Sey

Yes, that's why I have a hot light aimed at them as well. :)

Just throw a blanket or tarp over the whole setup and the lights will produce heat. It will also allow the humidity to rise, which is more comfortable for seedlings. You've got a hundred watts or so of light/heat coming out of your fluorescents. That's more than you'd get out of a heating pad. I did this in my 50F garage in February, and had my plants underneath very happy at 70-75F. I keep a thermometer under there so I can decide how thoroughly to cover them. If it's getting too warm underneath, I just throw the cover back a bit.

Hot light? You mean an incandescent? Ouch. Be careful with that. You can fry plants with those.

If it's as cold as you describe in your garage, it is no wonder they are not growing much after 5 weeks. You will have to be extremely careful with your watering to prevent root diseases at such prolonged cold temps.

Yes, I try to only spot mist. They don't seem to need water often. I wrapped the shelves in plastic wrap last night. Going to dig up Christmas lights and curl them under the trays today.

Hey guys, I seem to be really good at growing mushrooms, but I don't think the tomatoes like rooming with them...

Are you laughing at me yet? Told you I have a black thumb. Except where fungi are concerned, apparently.

Miztaryn,

It's not you, it is only that your growing conditions are are not anywhere close to optimal. Kudos to you for trying and learning.

My T5 lights, when covered up with large foam packing sheets, is enough to keep my tomato soil surfaces at over 80 degrees. I don't even use bottom heat anymore. I grow in an unheated basement.

Keep on keeping on!

I really don't understand why you need Christmas lights if you've got big fluorescents there. Just look at the wattage. That's how much heat/light you're already pumping into that area. Sorry, but did you ever tell us what temperature your garage is actually at? You say It is "damned cold". It would have to be pretty cold for those fluorescent bulbs not to do a decent job of keeping things warm IF they were suitably covered. The colder it is, the more cover you need. If it's "damned cold" you just need a damned good layer of insulation on top of the bulbs. Throw a sleeping bag over the setup, for goodness sake. The tomatoes will be fine underneath. as long as it doesn't get too hot. An adult human radiates about 100 watts of heat. Probably not too different than your fluorescent bulbs. So if a sleeping bag would keep you comfy in your garage, it'll keep anything under those bulbs comfy in your garage.

That being said, I'd be very careful about throwing a lot of insulation over incandescent bulbs. We're talking fire hazard.

It's between 50 and 60 in there, hovering at 60 on this cold, rainy day.

I don't have the box for the lights anymore (hubs set it all up) so I don't know the wattage or lumens. I'll have to do some research, now that I know what to look for.

In the meantime, I found a blanket that fits around part of my setup. When I wiggle my fingers in there it's notably warmer. Progress :)

Good stuff. 50-60F temps should easily workable. But use a thermometer to get it right. The blanket sounds like an optimal plan. Remember, the idea is to hold the heat from the lamps in. That's what makes it get warm. Have a look at your plants every day, but be sure to tuck them in after you do.