Tomato seedlings looking odd

[rob the roller]

I have planted a number of rather expensive Sungold seeds in some of last year's leftover multipurpose compost. They are now in 3" pots on my windowsill. They are about 3-4 weeks old and about 4"-5" tall. They look reasonably healthy, save that where the stem meets the compost there is a noticable thinning and absence of fur on the half inch or so above the level of the compost. Most are growing more or less verticaly but give the impression they will fall if I were to as much as whistle in the general direction of the window. One has drooped to the point that the stem is now resting on the edge of the pot and it has started growing upwards again from that position.

Has anybody ever had this problem and if so can it be treated? I am sure that they will collapse, possibly irretrievably if I try to pot them on.

Thanks

Rob

[simmo 66]

Sounds like Foot rot/damping off, i`m afraid they are probably goners . Always grow in fresh compost and do not overwater.You can treat with Cheshunt compound but yours sound too far gone.

[Bramble_killer]

Any chance of a photo? Sounds like they are just leggy and got too weak reaching for the light.

If the leaves are green and ok, then you can pot them up, burying them deeply.

[zazen999]

Damping off.

[Flummery]

Might work to re-pot them a lot deeper - they can root from the stem. If they aren't beyond saving this will save them.

[Kristen]

I reckon they've been kept to wet, I'm afraid. (That is a factor in causing Damping Off disease)

[rob the roller]

Thank you everyone who replied to this.

I started thinking along the same lines as Flummery and repotted all of the plants in sligtly deeper pots, and earthed the stems up to the two lowest leaves. The plants are looking a lot happier, and have almost doubled in size since I did the job on Saturday morniing. The roots were intact but not very pretty. As an added precaution I am putting stakes in now (they are actually bamboo barbecue skewers, 300 for a pound). I will also be following Simmo's advice to use fresh compost, at least so far as seedlings are concerned, and find other uses for last year's leftovers. It is not worth going to all that trouble and expense only to lose the plant.

Best

Rob