{"id":3728,"date":"2026-09-26T17:39:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T17:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=3728"},"modified":"2026-09-26T17:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T17:45:17","slug":"why-eggplant-seedlings-not-growing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/why-eggplant-seedlings-not-growing\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are My Eggplant Seedlings Not Growing? &#8211; Stunted Roots Fix"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-top\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;3728&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;0\\\/5 - (0 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Why Are My Eggplant Seedlings Not Growing? - Stunted Roots Fix&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate this<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"QAPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"Why are my indoor eggplant seedlings stunted with no root growth?\",\n    \"text\": \"My eggplant seedlings have completely stalled. They are still tiny, and the roots just refuse to grow. I am using good potting soil and tried feeding them, but they just won't gain any size. How do I force the roots to grow?\",\n    \"answerCount\": 1,\n    \"datePublished\": \"2021-04-22T21:40:00+03:00\",\n    \"author\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Person\",\n      \"name\": \"Galiy\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/profile\/56110-galiy\/\"\n    },\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Stunted eggplant seedlings are usually caused by a combination of inadequate light, sitting in tiny plug trays for too long, or the wrong fertilizer. To fix this, pot them up into larger 16 oz (0.5L) cups using very loose soil. Elevate the cups so they get maximum window sunlight. Stop using heavy Phosphorus\/Potassium bloom boosters (like MKP) and switch to a vegetative fertilizer like Calcium Nitrate and a balanced 20-20-20 blend. Finally, let the soil dry slightly between waterings so the roots are forced to grow outward in search of moisture.\",\n      \"datePublished\": \"2021-04-23T13:12:00+03:00\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/why-eggplant-seedlings-not-growing\/#answer\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\n        \"name\": \"Aleksan9ra\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/profile\/56700-aleksan9ra\/\"\n      },\n      \"upvoteCount\": 34\n    }\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"tldr-box\" style=\"background: #f4f9f4; padding: 20px; border-left: 5px solid #4CAF50; margin-bottom: 30px; border-radius: 4px;\">\n<h3>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary: Troubleshooting Stalled Eggplants<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83c\udf46 <strong>The Root of the Problem:<\/strong> If your eggplant or pepper seedlings stall and stop growing, it is almost always an issue below the soil line (poor root development).<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\udeb4 <strong>Potting Up:<\/strong> Don&#8217;t leave seedlings in tiny 6-cell plug trays for too long. They need to be moved into 16 oz (0.5L) cups to build a massive root system before going into the garden.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddea <strong>Fertilizer Mistakes:<\/strong> Never use &#8220;Bloom Boosters&#8221; (like MKP) on baby seedlings! They need Nitrogen for leaves and Calcium for cell walls, not massive doses of Phosphorus intended for fruiting.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udca7 <strong>Helicopter Watering:<\/strong> If you keep the soil constantly wet, the roots have no reason to grow. Let the soil dry out slightly so the roots are forced to stretch and search for water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"add-review-cta\" style=\"margin: 20px 0; padding: 15px; background: #f9f9f9; border-left: 4px solid #4CAF50; border-radius: 4px;\"><strong>\ud83d\udcac Have your seedlings ever completely stalled indoors?<\/strong> <a href=\"#wpdcom\">Tell us how you saved them below!<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Tatunya (Tanya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (13,826 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Istra District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\nI am absolutely loving my grafted eggplants! Although I admit, having vigorous tomato roots underneath them feels a bit like cheating. \ud83d\ude02 <\/p>\n<p>I picked my best non-grafted eggplants to compare them with the grafted ones. See the photos below. The cotyledon leaves are naturally falling off both of them now. Even without me telling you, you can easily guess which ones are grafted and which ones aren&#8217;t&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2021_04\/IMG_0800.jpg.b7f2d89b8c673f6bed0de348d8be0f18.jpg\" alt=\"Huge grafted eggplant seedlings\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin-top: 10px;\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2021_04\/IMG_0799.jpg.38a6f1772e278ff6136931deb4a6ae52.jpg\" alt=\"Eggplant seedlings growing\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin-top: 10px;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And the funny part is, I used the absolute worst, weakest seedlings as scions for the grafting process! Now they have completely overtaken the others. \ud83d\ude2f<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2021_04\/IMG_0811.jpg.76922bd9588a8c728d3e523a8c41d43b.jpg\" alt=\"Non grafted eggplants\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin-top: 10px;\" \/> <em>(Non-grafted)<\/em><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2021_04\/IMG_0810.jpg.63007334713d18dcd6d0bb83d6e1e526.jpg\" alt=\"Grafted eggplants\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin-top: 10px;\" \/> <em>(Grafted)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Now we just have to wait for the final harvest results! \u270d\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p>They are all in 16 oz (0.5L) cups right now, but they desperately need to be moved to 32 oz (1L) pots&#8230; \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (17,705 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino District, Moscow (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Tatunya (Tanya) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nThey are all in 16 oz (0.5L) cups right now, but they desperately need to be moved to 32 oz (1L) pots&#8230; \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Tanya, your eggplants are gorgeous! \ud83d\udc4d When did you plant them? Mine are still so tiny.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2021_04\/IMG_20210422_192212.jpg.78f6b07008dfba95a654886cf916501e.jpg\" alt=\"Stunted eggplant seedlings in a plug tray\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin-top: 10px;\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Tatunya (Tanya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (13,826 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Istra District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\nWhen did you sow yours?\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (17,705 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino District, Moscow (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Tatunya (Tanya) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen did you sow yours?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I started them in a little plastic sauce cup on Feb 24th. Moved them to dirt in early March. But I&#8217;ve only been giving them plain water. I just started adding a little fertilizer. They just won&#8217;t gain any strength or size! <\/p>\n<p>Last year I planted eggplants this exact same tiny size into the greenhouse, and I still haven&#8217;t finished eating the harvest. By the way, those were &#8220;Grishkevich-style&#8221; eggplants, thank you for the recipe @Lenka \ud83c\udf39 I still have two canned jars of them sitting in the pantry!\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">N<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">natko (Natalia) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (5,921 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Semenovskoye, Moscow Reg. (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\nGalina, I think it&#8217;s because of the tiny soil volume. An eggplant isn&#8217;t going to grow into a monster in a tiny 6-cell plug tray! You have to &#8220;pot them up&#8221; (transplant to larger cups) more than once if you want them to grow into absolute horses.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (17,705 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino District, Moscow (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>natko (Natalia) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nYou have to &#8220;pot them up&#8221; more than once if you want them to grow into absolute horses.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But there&#8217;s nothing to pot up yet! Last year they were in 32 oz (1L) pots and they still didn&#8217;t grow. When I finally planted them in the greenhouse, half the potting soil fell away because the roots never filled it. <\/p>\n<p>For some reason, my seedlings at home just refuse to grow roots. The soil is good, and last year I even watered them with MKP (Monopotassium Phosphate). I just can&#8217;t get a good root system. When I used to grow seedlings at my office window, I never had this problem. It&#8217;s a mystery to me.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Aleksan9ra (Ludmila) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (15,056 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\nTanya! Both your grafted and non-grafted ones look amazing. My non-grafted ones are about that size too, but I sowed mine earlier. My grafted ones are still tiny and the roots are struggling to grow. Maybe I shouldn&#8217;t have trimmed off the cotyledon leaves? I&#8217;ll try repotting them into looser soil tomorrow.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">N<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">natko (Natalia) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (5,921 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Semenovskoye, Moscow Reg. (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 22, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Galiy (Galina) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8230;last year I even watered them with MKP (Monopotassium Phosphate).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Galya! MKP is used during flowering and fruit set! For young seedlings, you should be alternating between Calcium Nitrate and a humic acid complex. (And this is coming from a person who rarely fertilizes seedlings at all! But my starting soil is very rich).\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">M<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">MADanilich (Andrey) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (22,074 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Northern Tomsk (USDA Zone 2b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Galiy (Galina) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen I used to grow seedlings at my office window, I never had this problem. It&#8217;s a mystery to me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>What mystery?! At the office, you have completely different &#8220;Capricorns&#8221; walking around than you do at home! \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n<p>For some reason I&#8217;m drawn to making jokes today&#8230; must mean the warm weather is finally coming! \ud83c\udf39\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Tatunya (Tanya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (13,826 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Istra District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Galiy (Galina) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nBut I&#8217;ve only been giving them plain water.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Hm, we really need to find the root cause. Is it the soil? I haven&#8217;t fed mine a single time yet, though I probably should. Hopefully I can squeeze in at least one feeding before planting them in their permanent beds&#8230;\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Tatunya (Tanya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (13,826 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Istra District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>natko (Natalia) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nYou have to &#8220;pot them up&#8221; more than once if you want them to grow&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Not necessarily. I kept some eggplants in tiny 5 oz (150ml) cups way too long. I couldn&#8217;t find the photo, oh well. But the second I finally potted them up into 16 oz (0.5L) cups, they instantly filled the whole volume with roots.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">V<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Valtwelve (Valery) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,847 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Between Samara &#038; Ufa (USDA Zone 4a) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Galiy (Galina) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen I used to grow seedlings at my office window, I never had this problem. It&#8217;s a mystery to me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Could it be because of this:<\/p>\n<p>At work, you are with the seedlings all day and you monitor them, but you don&#8217;t have time to mess with them because you have to actually work. At home, you coddle them. The second you think they look a tiny bit dry, you water them. Why would their roots grow if there is constantly an abundance of moisture and a lack of oxygen in the soil? Roots only grow when they have to actively search for water and nutrition! Another reason could be that you packed the soil down too tightly.<\/p>\n<p>Also, I don&#8217;t give my seedlings MKP (it has Potassium without Nitrogen to balance it, which can block the uptake of Magnesium and Calcium). Instead, I use a Superphosphate extract (steeping it in boiling water). Both the plants and I love it. The young leaves come out beautiful\u2014tender and light green.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"answer\" class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Aleksan9ra (Ludmila) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (15,056 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Galiy (Galina) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nMine are still so tiny.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Galya, first of all, you absolutely must transplant them into 16 oz (0.5L) cups. Use very loose soil, and don&#8217;t fill the cup all the way to the top. Try not to disturb the roots, just move the whole dirt plug. <\/p>\n<p>Put a box or something similar on your windowsill to elevate the cups higher so they get more light and sun. <\/p>\n<p>Immediately after repotting, feed them with Calcium Nitrate (about 1\/2 teaspoon per 1 quart of water \/ 2g per 1L). Add 2 tablespoons of that solution on top of the moist soil. Three days later, feed them with a balanced complex fertilizer, like a 20-20-20 blend, using the exact same ratio as the first feeding. Everything will take off after that!\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (17,705 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino District, Moscow (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Valtwelve (Valery) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nAt work&#8230; you don&#8217;t have time to mess with them. At home, you coddle them&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It&#8217;s actually the exact opposite regarding the environment! My old office had massive, warm, South-facing windows covering the entire wall. It was on the 3rd floor (but technically as high as a 5th floor). Wide, warm wooden windowsills. And absolutely no shade, no trees blocking the light, nothing in the way. <\/p>\n<p>My house is on the 2nd floor, surrounded by huge shade trees, and the windowsills are half the size. <\/p>\n<p>And I definitely don&#8217;t coddle them. I don&#8217;t even need a huge harvest, there aren&#8217;t enough people to eat it all! But I have to maintain the summer house, mow the lawn, and keep things growing. I just can&#8217;t bring myself to throw away extra seedlings. As a result, I end up crowding them and harming the good tomato plants. \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (17,705 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino District, Moscow (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Tatunya (Tanya) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nIs it the soil?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The soil is good, I got it delivered from Leroy Merlin. Tested it out last year. The 2nd floor shade is the only logical explanation left in my head.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Tatunya (Tanya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (13,826 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Istra District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Galiy (Galina) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe 2nd floor shade is the only logical explanation left in my head.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I still have a lingering thought that maybe you watered them too often and the roots were suffocating?\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (17,705 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino District, Moscow (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Aleksan9ra (Ludmila) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nGalya, first of all, you absolutely must transplant them into 16 oz (0.5L) cups.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I repotted them. There were barely any roots. Oh well, let them grow! I do really like using those plug trays for growing cabbage seedlings, though. \ud83d\ude47\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Thank you for the advice, Ludmila! \ud83c\udf39\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (17,705 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino District, Moscow (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 April 23, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Tatunya (Tanya) wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nI still have a lingering thought that maybe you watered them too often and the roots were suffocating?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Actually no, I always waited until they were dry. I was terrified of drying them out completely, but I know my own weaknesses so I tried very hard not to overwater them. \ud83d\ude0e\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"editor-note\" class=\"editor-note\" style=\"background: #eef7ff; padding: 20px; border-left: 5px solid #2196F3; margin-top: 25px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.6; border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;\">\n<h4 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #1565C0;\">\ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83d\udd2c Editor&#8217;s Botanical Note: Stop Giving Seedlings Bloom Boosters!<\/h4>\n<p>Galina&#8217;s struggle with her eggplant roots brings up two incredibly important rules for indoor seed starting:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. The MKP Mistake:<\/strong> Galina mentions she fed her tiny seedlings MKP (Monopotassium Phosphate, 0-52-34). This is a massive mistake! MKP is a highly concentrated &#8220;Bloom Booster&#8221; designed to stop a plant&#8217;s vegetative growth and force it to produce flowers and fruit. If you give high doses of Phosphorus and Potassium to a baby seedling, it will completely stunt its vegetative growth. Seedlings need Nitrogen (for green leaves) and Calcium (for building strong cell walls). Stick to balanced fertilizers (like a 20-20-20) or Calcium Nitrate for babies!<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Roots Follow the Water:<\/strong> Valery drops a golden rule of horticulture: <em>&#8220;Roots only grow when they actively search for water.&#8221;<\/em> If you constantly keep the soil in your seedling cups perfectly moist (helicopter watering), the roots have absolutely no reason to stretch out and grow. They will stay small, lazy, and clustered at the top of the pot. You must let the top layer of soil dry out slightly to force the roots to dive deep in search of moisture!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary: Troubleshooting Stalled Eggplants \ud83c\udf46 The Root of the Problem: If your eggplant or pepper seedlings stall and stop growing, it is almost always an issue below the soil line (poor root development). \ud83e\udeb4 Potting Up: Don&#8217;t leave seedlings in tiny 6-cell plug trays for too long. They need to be moved into &#8230; <a title=\"Why Are My Eggplant Seedlings Not Growing? &#8211; Stunted Roots Fix\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/why-eggplant-seedlings-not-growing\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Are My Eggplant Seedlings Not Growing? &#8211; Stunted Roots Fix\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[769],"tags":[927,925,928,926,700],"class_list":["post-3728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eggplants","tag-fertilizer-mistakes","tag-growing-eggplants","tag-potting-up","tag-seedling-roots","tag-transplanting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3728"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3731,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3728\/revisions\/3731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}