[Market-farming] Need help with broccoli seedlings

Bobbett bobbett at alltel.net
Thu Mar 19 00:58:25 EDT 2009


Hi, all, hope someone can help me.

I currently have growing indoors under lights about 38 trays of 
seedlings.  Half of them are cole crops.  All the plants are about 4-6 
wks old and have 4-8 true (adult) leaves.  I started hardening off half 
of them a few days ago for transplant into my garden next week (under 
row covers).

In one tray of broccoli, that hasn't started the hardening off procedure 
yet, I noticed the the leaves are starting to yellow.  The most yellow 
ones are the baby leaves (the first two that form after the seedling 
emerges).  At first I thought that was normal since those leaves 
normally die off/dry up and fall off, but now I've noticed that some of 
the adult leaves are also starting to yellow.  The yellow is starting 
from the outer, rounded edge of the leaves and making its way back in.  
And oddly enough, it's only one tray of seedlings doing this (all trays 
are mixed varieites, btw).

Is the yellow from not enough feedings (fertilizer) or too much?  As far 
as I know, all seedlings have been fed equally, but I might have 
over-fed or under-fed one tray here or there.  I'm currently using:

Fish Emulsion that's OMRI certified N-P-K is 2-4-0.5
I have yet to use it at the dilution recommended for adult plants.  I 
started with 1/4 dilution, and then did 1/2 dilution.  I've fed all the 
plants maybe 3x total in the past six weeks.

If I'm over-feeding, then I'll stop.  But if I'm under feeding, what do 
you suggest I do?  I have the Fish Emulsion as stated above, but also 
have another Fish Emulsion rated 5-1-1, or I have a Foliar Spray (that 
I've never used) that's 3-2-2.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I really don't want to loose 
this tray of 50 plants, nor do I want to put sickly ones outside into my 
garden.

Bobbett, KY zone 6




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