Complete Gardening Virgin - Help Please!! :)

[chellybobs]

Hi there, I am completely new to this! I have sewed many seeds in trays over the last coouple of weeks and some are growing quite well (placed in my warm sunny conservatory). Some havent appeared yet (parsley, butternut squash, courgette, tomato! ), I fear i may have over watered!
My purple broccoli however has and is huge! About 10 cm tall. I am a little concerned however as they are (best to discribe them for you)
10 cm tall, long thin shoots, with 2 leaves on the top.
Many are starting to bend over!
What am i doing wrong!!!!????
Can anyone please kindly help?
many thanks
Chelle x

[Pumpkin Becki]

Sounds to me like the PSB are growing too quickly in the heat of your conservatory. Try popping them outside during the day for about a week and then start leaving them out overnight too. This will slow their growth rate down and 'harden them off' ready for planting out in the open ground.

You could try repotting them into slightly bigger pots and burying the stem up to the first set of leaves. The stem (now underground) should then grow roots to help stabilise the plant. You can do this with tomatoes too.

Seeds need very little moisture to germinate, water the soil just before you sew and then leave them until the seedlings start to pop up. Then water sparingly from the bottom - never the top, or you could end up with the seedlings collapsing, which is called 'damping off'.

Best of luck

[chellybobs]

Wow! Thanks that makes so much more sense as to whats happened! I will definatley take your advice. No where have i found to not water after seeding and only from under lol!!!
I think after 3 weeks they may be a lost cause and have 'damped off' as you mentioned. Back to the drawing board with those then. Never mind its all part of the learning process- and hopefully now i should be more sucessful now i can get help on here from 'real' gardeners!
many thanks
michelle x

[Pumpkin Becki]

There's plenty of time to sew some more, just don't be so kind to them next time! Brassicas (like PSB, kale, sprouts etc) are really hardy, and can be harvested all winter long.

Good luck with take two