Oh, if you stick your finger in the growing medium about two inches down, is it damp or Dry?

Lol!

Thanks! I'm in zone 6/7 (border) and they are in half-pint containers (dollar store). The seed starting soil is jiffy and they were watered (below/absorption) 2 days ago. I'll go check...brb...

Parts of the soil are wet/tops/sides dry. Really seem to only be moist around the roots...hmmm..

Also...what about leaves/veins looking yellow?

Leaves and veins yellowing usually indicates over-watering and/or lack of nutrients (nitrogen).

Jiffy Mix has no nutrients in it and is usually used just for seed starting, not growing on. Do you plan to transplant them into a growing mix? If not you will need to starting feeding them. As for watering, it isn't as if there is a set formula/amount/schedule. It is "as the plant needs it". Soil that is moist at the root level usually doesn't need watering. That's the place that counts. ;-)

Dave

Thanks Dave!

I completely forgot the rules about the soil! I'll recheck them later today (after being outside/shade for hardening off) and see how the soil is looking.

My guess is that i'll be heading off to the store later for a good growing mix. Lol!

Thanks again! Will update when I do more!

Happy gardening!!

I definitely need to go out and purchase some growing mix this weekend.

Right now, I think my major concern is the flimsy-ness/poor roots of these plants. When I did my seeds last year (second set, lol) they were amazing! The color was great, the stems were hardy, and the roots were well developed, as well. This years batch just don't look that good. I'm thinking about just sucking it up and purchasing established seedlings from a local nursery.

I suppose I was lazy with the startup of the plants and should have been more watchful of them from the start. Additionally, I used a poorer quality seed starting mix, which now I know has potentially backfired!

Going to mull it over and think about it today and figure out what i'll do within the next few weeks.

Thanks all for your advice/help!!

Feed them a couple of times before you decide. They usually respond very quickly.

Ok, so I am going to the store to pick up some growing mix, tomorrow. Any suggestions on a reasonably priced, decent mix?

Also, I'm wondering if the plants are possibly waterlogged, as they are pale green in color with the veins showing....

I was reading either nitrogen or sulfur...

THANKS ALL!!!

Not sure if you understood but you need to feed them. That is true whether you use a growing mix or not. In other words just transplanting them into a different mix isn't going to provide all the nutrients they need. They need fertilizer - a well balanced one that provides all the major nutrients as well as at least some of the micro-nutrients. Even plants that are germinated in a growing mix from day one still have to be fertilized once they develop true leaves.

Dave

Thanks again Dave!

Yes, I do remember this! Somehow I forgot about that little detail from last year to this, but I had a eureka moment yesterday when I was mixing soil in my garden beds.

Please forgive me, as I'm a busy Mom with two little ones whose memory isn't always the best! LOL!

I have good ol' fashioned miracle grow fert, as well as fish emulsion which is what I used last year, with great success.

Thanks and sorry for these redundant questions!

ETA: Also, can anyone chime in on a decent potting/growing medium? I plan on going out today and picking a bag up. Thanks!

Here they are, the sad lot of em'! :/

ETA: I started these seeds 3/28...they should look waaaay bigger by now...amirite?

How do I fix this? Fixable or not? :/

Your original post said you watered/ferted the other day. But your other responses indicate you haven't fertilized at all?

It is time to get them transplanted to the garden anyway in your zone. Forget switching them to a different mix now - that should have happened a couple of weeks ago. That is unless for some reason you aren't planning to plant them soon. Just mix up a batch of the MG fertilizer at 1/2 strength and use it to water/feed them. That will tide them over until you can get them planted in the garden.

As for good growing mixes for future reference, there are hundreds of them. Miracle Grow Potting Mix is probably the most commonly available. Many use it for seed starting as well as growing. Jiffy Mix is intended for use in small cell packs only - like the 1-2" cell packs - and only for germination. Once germinated they have to be moved to a better mix and fed.

Dave

Thank you both for your replies!

So, yes, I DID fert them, but I 'watered from below' therefore, I don't know how much each plant individually received...that is the main/big question!!

I know for next time to just bookmark these pages/responses and refer accordingly!

Sorry for the mix-up of info! I am failing at gardening this year! :/

ETA: I'm just going to go ahead and 'feed' them again and wait the week or two then plant em out. Thanks again everyone!!! :)