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Tragedy! Garden Failure. Help! My Starts have died!
Sometimes tragedy strikes. Bad things happen to good seeds. They don't sprout, or worse, they do and then turn sickly and die. A gardener will blame herself and feel just awful.
What can she do to save these little plants?
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One, two, whatever you do,
Start it well and carry it through.
Try, try, never say die,
Things will come right,
you know, by and by.
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Weedy tomato starts, oh dear! These tall, rangey tomato seedlings may never make it.
Diagnosis: More sun, less water and repot soon to cover those long, delicate stems!
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Nasturtium starts that have truly, sadly, completely died. No hope here. Pluck & replant!
What happened? Seeds were started indoors, per seed packet instructions but needed more sun. Our intrepid gardener wrapped the tray up in plastic to sit outside. Then she left it out overnight. The seedlings got too cold and damp. An untimely demise!
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Another view of the weedy tomato starts.
This is not looking good!
Start backup seeds right away! (or bite the bullet and buy ready-made tomato starts when it's warmer).
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Here is a tray of basil seedlings. Most survived the moist overnight in the cold. The failed starts are circled in red. Scrape off the mold (yuck!) and plant new basil seeds.
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Place seedlings in the sunniest indoor spot in your house, even if it requires moving furniture and messing up your decor! The health of your seedlings, and future garden, depends on it!
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