slow tomatoes, peppers

i started my tomatoes, habaneros, jalapenos, bell peppers seeds indoors they germinated over 3 weeks ago but they are barely starting to grow their first true leaves. the window gets plenty afternoon-evening sun facing west. i have been watering whenever it dries out. could it be the potting soil? any advice would be greatly appreciated.

skooltcher - I assume you either gave them some fertilizer, or there was fertilizer already in the potting soil.

Don't wait for your pots to dry out, keep the soil damp, but not wet. Also, use tepid water, not straight from the tap.

How cool is it where they're growing? My guess is that, since you're watering, it's got to be either light or temperature...cool temps slow them down tremendously and make them get fatter, HOWEVER, they do need adequate light in that cool, to keep them from stretching for light and getting long and leggy and floppy stupid.

Peppers take FOR-E-VER! And, they do NOT like it cool -- AT ALL!!! I grew my tomato seeds in the "cool" room, and my pepper seeds in the "warm" room...

BTW, what mix did you start your seeds in?

Linda


This message was edited Mar 22, 2011 10:23 AM

i just used the cheapest potting soil, plopped the soil and seeds in plastic cups and put them in front of a window. it took about 10 days for everything to germinate and they have been moving mighty slowly since.

skooltcher - check the instructions on the bag of potting soil. If it doesn't say it contained "time-release fertilizer" you need to give your plants fertilizer.

is miracle grow ok on edible plants? or is there a better organic alternative?

skooltcher - does your Miracle Grow say it's for vegetables? If so, follow the instructions on the label, only use half as much as they suggest - they want you to use up their product and buy more. LOL

Here's a link to a company I've used several times that carries organic fertilizer. Your big-box hardware store will also have some to choose from. One that comes to mind is "Espoma" with Mycorrhizae.

http://homeharvest.com/orgfert.htm

thanks everybody

Sunlight has a big effect on how your plants grow. Just getting afternoon sun is not really enough as they grow larger. Not sure the size of your plastic cups, plants will slow down if their roots cannot expand as needed. Neptune’s Harvest is the best organic fertilizer you can give your plants. Enjoy your plants!