Eight ways to deal with weak-looking seedlings

Check out this list of symptoms, causes and solutions for common seed germination issues. Keep in mind that your seeds have a built-in drive to survive so even if you can't give them optimal help, they will do their best to make it. So help them along by following these tips.

Issue 1: Collapsed seedlings and rotten roots or soil-level stems
Possibly caused by: Damping off
How to fix: Clean seed trays with a part bleach solution. Use sterilized seeding soil mix and don't overcrowd your seeds.

Issue 2: Curling leaves
Possibly caused by: Too much fertilizer
How to fix: Reduce amount of fertilizer feed or replant your seeds using fresh mix

Issue 3: Yellow lower leaves
Possibly caused by: Too much fertilizer or deficient in magnesium
How to fix: Adjust fertilizer feeding or repot the plan using a fresh mix

Issue 4: Long weak stems or large gaps between leaves on stem
Possibly caused by: Not enough light or plant grown in a very hot environment or overcrowded
How to fix: Give plants more light through exposure or increased grow light duration, lower temperature, take out some seedlings to thin out cluster

Issue 5: Soil surface shows green mould
Possibly caused by: Too much water due to bad drainage, little air circulating, too much fertilizer
How to fix: Place small amounts of ground charcoal into the soil surface to absorb excess moisture

Issue 6: Leaves have gone pale
Possibly caused by: deficient nitrogen
How to fix: Feed your plants nitrogen heavy fertilizer

Issue 7: Reddish purple leaf underside
Possibly caused by: Not enough phosphorus
How to fix: Feed more phosphorus to your plants

Issue 8: Leaf edges turn brown or bronze
Possibly caused by: too much water or not enough potassium
How to fix: reduce watering, feed with fertilizer with a high potassium profile