Runts of the litter

[Moth1992]

I seeded some micros end of january and some cherries a week or two later. Some sprouted sooner and some later but they have mostly catched up.

They are beautiful seedlings growing strong, enjoying the days in my balcony. Except two of them. They are infuriatingly tiny and slow. One is a jochalos micro and one is a jeune flamme. They are all in the same conditions in trays. Ugh they pain me to see them so small and whimpy. I might have to inverse transplant and bring them back indoors....

Are you all having runts?

[jamiethemime]

I have a number of pepper seedlings that are being annoying: some pinata f2s were helmet-headed, and while I removed the husk, their cotyledons are misshapen and they just look kinda scraggly and sad, only one has actually died though. All 4 of my aji charapitas look like trash, but i hear they're next to impossible to keep happy, so *shrug*
My micros haven't been sprouted long enough to identify any runts, I have 6 jochalos started though, so I'll keep an eye out for any delinquents.
That said, still so much time to catch everything up here in zone 5a

[karstopography]

Aunt Lillian’s Yellow lagged behind its peers. Matt’s Wild Cherry was another one that took forever to get going, but finally did at the end. This year, I planted out into the garden the strongest, most vigorous transplants, but kept a reserve of the rest like Aunt Lillians’s Yellow and Matt’s Wild Cherry. Some of my tomatoes varieties I had two or three transplants going and some were singles. Two Dester, Three Stump of the World, two True Black Brandywine, that sort of thing. I’d plant the best, most robust of the litter. The rest stayed as a backup plan. Everything out in my garden is a single now expect I planted both of my Beefmaster Transplants and two of my three Kellogg’s Breakfast seedlings. I decided to plant out two of Kellogg’s Breakfast as they were from self saved seed from last season’s vigorous and productive tomato. Maybe this year’s version would be just as strong and productive and if so why not grow two?

I also had a reserve of seeds planted two weeks or so after the main planting and ended up transplanting just one of the second batch into the garden, Domingo. The strongest of the second batch had caught up and passed by Aunt Lillians’s Yellow by the time I was finished transplanting.

Anyway, All my surplus transplants, maybe there were 15, eventually found homes with three different people, even Aunt Lillians’s Yellow. By that time Aunt Lillians’s was reasonably acceptable looking as compared to a typical transplant. I think I even gave a disclaimer on Aunt Lillian’s, even though it was like the rest of them totally free of charge. I’ll have to check on that tomato later to see how it did.

A few of my transplants got some leaf injury by wind and one SOTW had its main stem broken in that same big wind and those few got composted. Hoy, from my self saved seed, got beaten up in the unexpected wind pretty badly and never bounced back so into the compost bin it went. I was looking forward to growing that one out, but oh well.

[rxkeith]

i'll get some runts each year. some may catch up, others never will.
the ones that are doing really poorly, i make a decision to trash when i pot up
or keep alive if one is all i have. not all late sprouters are runts. some catch up,
some don't.
the last couple years, i have started some pretty old pepper seeds. i have had a few
seeds sprout that were looking pretty small and weak for a long time. they would
eventually get growing again, and become healthy full grown plants, but man, you
had to be patient with them.



keith

[PlainJane]

There’s always one or two in a given season. They almost always catch up.

[AKgardener]

Same here all stated the same time some are taking off some are slow and a lot of them had helmet heads as one said I’ve never had to start over this many time for tomatoes

[Moth1992]

I just keep looking at them and wondering WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???

Ughhhhhh patience, patience

[jamiethemime]

I just keep looking at them and wondering WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???

Ughhhhhh patience, patience

I know they've done studies on plants growing better if you sing to them, but can they tell the difference between singing and screaming?

[slugworth]

I started some magic seeds from the dollar store back in feb but as they progressed they all looked anemic.
That tomato rocket that were seeds embedded in a fiber mat I rolled out in a tray.
I thought it would have fertilizer already installed but I had to hit them with a spray.
Some turned green but the others shriveled up like the wicked witches feet under the house after ruby slippers were removed.
Marion is the variety.Out of 25 starts only a few left.

[AKgardener]

I just keep looking at them and wondering WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???

Ughhhhhh patience, patience

Everytime I read this I laugh because all I picture in my head is Sam kinisin yelling OHhhhhOhhhhh haha

[habitat-gardener]

For the master gardener plant sale, we (7 of us) potted up 1075 seedlings last weekend, 33 varieties (out of 1250 seeds planted 2 weeks prior). Some of the seedlings were runts or just-sprouted seeds, but we decided to plant them all and see what happens.They're all growing in a commercial greenhouse with daily automatic watering at a local community college. Since the sale is April 1 and 8, any runts have a chance to catch up. I probably won't see them in person before the sale because I have so much to do with my own gardens between now and then, and it's 10 miles away (!). I should have made a note of how many runts there were! Some varieties had none, a couple had as many as had 5 or 6 in a flat of 16.

[AKgardener]

Mine are definitely taking there sweet time I planted 3 tomatoes they took 5 days well one did it has been a week since he broke dirt now other decided to show up to the party !! Kids

[Moth1992]

Well one of my runts didnt make it. Which makes me sad because I really wanted that variety. And the tomato lady near me was selling them in seedlings but she sold out already.


Wondering if its too late to start again..... Cant hurt right?

[AKgardener]

@Moth1992 never to late to start over I have twice !! Doing a different variety this morning just in case the others don’t take I refuse to not have any haha

[Moth1992]

@Moth1992 never to late to start over I have twice !! Doing a different variety this morning just in case the others don’t take I refuse to not have any haha

Problem is then it makes me sad to get rid of all the extras. I get too attached to all the seedlings.

I just seeded 1 more. See if it sprouts

[AKgardener]

I didn’t have a choice but to start over I hope it’s worth it yet again I have no idea why there popping up with no heads or just one codling leaf it just weird

[Moth1992]

Meanwhile Karma purple is getting so huge Im not very sure were to put it at night.

[AKgardener]

Do we toss the runts or let them be mine have not budged at all there we’re gonna be my main crop so I restarted everything with a new variety just in case

[Moth1992]

My runt is still being a runt. I havent seen it change in weeks. Im pretty much ready to up pot everyone and leave them outside and this little dude is still ridiculous small refusing to grow.

[AKgardener]

worse than a stubborn child I swear haha.. by grandson is 2 and a half and i ask him something if he does not want to do it he says note not doing it haha yes I said that right he says note instead of no