Some of my seedlings have weak stems

[Phillybonker]

Some of my seedlings which are between 14 - 16 days old have weak stems. They are growing just fine like the rest of my seedlings and look perfectly healthy except for the stems which can't seem to support the weight of the small leaves. The leaves aren't drooping or discolored or nothing. The stems aren't thin, stretchy or dark in color or nothing like that. They look 100% healthy.

It's only happening to a small portion of my seedlings and I'm wondering what it could be. I did over water the seedlings 6 days ago, maybe that has something to do with it?

These are growing outdoors by the way.

These were the seedlings two days ago doing just fine, and now today a small number of them look like they can't support the weight of their leaves.....

 

[Roy Growin]

You could try some Potassium Silicate to tough em up, but I wonder if those chips are keeping the base too damp?
They still look pretty good to me

 

[Rolling Green]

Seedlings look normal to me. Not sure why you would want to top the starter mix with wood chips but each to their own method.

 

[Phillybonker]

You could try some Potassium Silicate to tough em up,

I'll order some in, but it will take about one week to arrive, hopefully they stay all good till then.

but I wonder if those chips are keeping the base too damp?

Maybe, drainage isn't the best with those bag pots either. I next revisit the seedlings in two days so I'll remove some of the chips.

They still look pretty good to me

In that picture yeah, but that was before a few of them started bending over. That photo was taken two days ago when they were doing fine, I just discovered a few of them bending over today. I just forgot to take photos today because I was in such a rush.

 

[Azimuth]

If those bags are staying too wet you could put them on a (paper)towel which will help suck out some of the extra and evaporate it away.

 

[Phillybonker]

Seedlings look normal to me.

Yeah but that photo is from two days ago when they were doing fine, I came back to check on them today to find a few of them bend over as if the weight of their leaves was too much for the stalks.

I was in a rush and forgot to take a photo of the seedlings today to illustrate the problem.

Not sure why you would want to top the starter mix with wood chips but each to their own method.

I was going to be out of town for six days so couldn't water the seedlings, the mulch was originally used to slow evaporation of moisture from the soil. I decided to leave it there to regulate the temperature of the soil because the surface of the soil can heat up quite a bit.

I'll remove half of the mulch to let the soil breath a bit.

 

[SmokingWings]

These were the seedlings two days ago doing just fine, and now today a small number of them look like they can't support the weight of their leaves.....

Look up "Damping Off Disease" and see what the results says and show. Check if the photos there look like what you were seeing on your young plants.

 

[Phillybonker]

Look up "Damping Off Disease" and see what the results says and show. Check if the photos there look like what you were seeing on your young plants.

A couple of my seedlings died very quickly from damping off or are badly stunted, but the seedlings I'm concerned about the most didn't do this.

It could possibly be very early stages of damping off and the only way I can know for sure is when I check them tomorrow.

 

[Azimuth]

Damping off happens at the soil surface and can be countered with worm castings.

 

[Phillybonker]

Damping off happens at the soil surface and can be countered with worm castings.

That's music to my ears because I just watered in some worm casting yesterday (it had been 5 days since their last watering). I was feeding them but I didn't realize that it also counters damping off.

 

[SmokingWings]

Damping off happens at the soil surface and can be countered with worm castings.

One of the listed benefits of using worm castings is that it will help plants build strong stems while in the seedling stage.

I am not sure that it will help much if the plant has already developed the Damping Off Disease since it is often considered a root rot that has spread to the stem at soil level.

 

[bluter]

they'll take off a little better once out of that container. they are at the size where they should have more air space between them. the crowding will trap water in the containers and choke them out a bit.

 

[Phillybonker]

they'll take off a little better once out of that container. they are at the size where they should have more air space between them. the crowding will trap water in the containers and choke them out a bit.

I'll put the bag pots up on a couple of inches of wood chips so they don't end up sitting in water when it rains.

 

[Azimuth]

I am not sure that it will help much if the plant has already developed the Damping Off Disease since it is often considered a root rot that has spread to the stem at soil level.

I think that's true. The microbes in the castings feed on the fungus' that causes DOD so it prevents it from taking hold before it gets going. But, if it does take hold it attacks the stems . Maybe misting a castings tea would help, but don't know.

I do know plenty of growers use a castings tea as a regular foliar to help ward off all sorts of leaf based diseases and feed the plant in the process.