I planted some of my veggies in starter pods, and let them sit for a while without adequate sunlight. The first ones to germinate first shot up way too fast and their stems are getting long and skinny.
If I select only the shortest, or the last to germinate in the group, will I be introducing plants with less desirable traits into my garden? Or is there something to be said about late bloomers, or germinaters in this case?
It is natural for any seedling to grow and elongate looking for light. Get them hardened off before they stay outside or increase the power of your light. Just bringing the lamp down to the seedlings might be enough to increase the light and thicken your seedlings. Don't worry about genetics...all your seedlings will do fine when you get them in decent light. Just don't ever put in the sun a plant grown indoors, a greenhouse, a shady porch without hardening it off. Depends on the plant but basically you start with a few minutes the first day, a few more the next until it can stay out all day. Otherwise the sun can burn and kill plants not hardened off...careful with fertilizer with seedlings. Keep fertilizer to a bare minimum until the plant is out in decent lighting.
