Have I ruined my Kale?

[Herbsandveg]

Just wondering whether anyone could help me with a little problem on my very first sowing attempt of the season...

I sowed some Kale seeds (inside, and then kept in a warm room) and was astonished to see they were through almost immediately, and reached height of almost an inch in the first three days. It really does look like a case of 'too much too soon' with these as all the seedlings have gone pretty 'leggy', and I'm worried about them now. Would it just be better to compost this first batch and make a totally new sowing for the next lot, or could the (current) batch be saved by trying to slow them down somehow?

Any thoughts and help on this would be very gratefully received. As a guideline, all subsequent sowings will be kept in a slightly cooler room than this lot were!

[zazen999]

Yeah, sow them in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame or polytunnel. Brassicas don't need much heat at all to sprout.

You can still grow those though, wait until they have 2 true leaves and prick out and plant up to the fist seed leaves. Harden off and keep them cool.

[Herbsandveg]

Yeah, sow them in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame or polytunnel. Brassicas don't need much heat at all to sprout.

You can still grow those though, wait until they have 2 true leaves and prick out and plant up to the fist seed leaves. Harden off and keep them cool.

Many thanks for that, Zazen. Useful advice about the brassicas, and good to hear that all is not yet lost!

Would you say that some seed companies are slightly 'out' with the level of heat that certain seeds need in order to germinate? This would be really useful for me to know for future reference...

[zazen999]

What did it say on those kale seeds?

[rustylady]

HerbsandVeg - looking at your seedlings makes me wonder what else you have in that seedtray.

I usually sow my seeds in either 3 and a half inch half-pots, or modules (2 seeds per cell).

[Herbsandveg]

What did it say on those kale seeds?

Zazen,

On the packet (which is from D.T. Brown) it gives instructions for sowing outdoors from April, but also gave the alternative instructions when sowing indoors from March:

'Or sow indoors 0.5cm deep in a tray of compost. Keep warm and moist, a temperature of 15 deg C (60F) is ideal. Transplant 5cm apart to other trays when large enough to handle. Gradually accustom young plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts) before planting out 45cm apart. Harvest mature plants from September to March'.

[Herbsandveg]

HerbsandVeg - looking at your seedlings makes me wonder what else you have in that seedtray.

I usually sow my seeds in either 3 and a half inch half-pots, or modules (2 seeds per cell).

Rusty Lady,

Also sown in the same tray are Electric Daisies, Peppers and Chinese Chives, all of which are showing tentative signs of germination, though none with the wild vigorous of the Kale!...

[rustylady]

See, this is the problem with sowing mixed seeds in a tray. They all come up at different rates, and it's difficult to cater for their differing needs. This is why I sow one variety per pot (as soon as they have germinated the whole pot goes from the propagator to the windowsill).

[Two_Sheds]

Also sown in the same tray...

As RL says, never ever mix different seeds in the same tray: they have completely different requirements, will germinate at different times ... keep one type to one tray.
Better yet, use 3" pots.

I never use seed trays, and I never "prick out". I think beginners are making life more difficult for themselves if they do.

[Two_Sheds]

I sowed some Kale seeds

As a general rule, the tough-as-old-boots plants like kale, sprouts, cabbages etc don't need to be pampered with "indoors" and "heating".

Sow them somewhere light but cool: an unheated east-facing windowsill, or an outside cold frame, or a blowaway

[Alison]

I've not sown my brassicas yet (with the exception of sprouts) but when I do I will be sowing about 10 seeds in each 3" pot and they'll be put in the cold greenhouse with no heat to germinate. Works well and stops them getting too leggy.