Hi! If the plants you’re growing are not stretching due to their genes, they most probably stretch due to the light as they stretch up trying to get closer to the light and the stem weakens which then will result in bending and falling over. You need to make sure you have adequate lighting and setup, not too near nor too far. Though the distance is not the only cause, certain types of lighting can also promote the stretch. We wrote different articles regarding grow lights with reviews! Feel free to read them and reach out to us if you have more questions.

Hey Bryan — I actually delt with a similar issue myself. The stem was super fragile. What is your container? I always start my seeds in eggshells so that when they are ready to plan in soil, you can easily just crack the shell lightly and plant into the container. Another hack I’ve used is cardboard egg cartons, because those are easy to cut at the bottom.

But since it appears you are in a different situation… I recommend you do NOT use tweazers because you risk ripping the plant away from its roots. Instead, is it possible to massage the entire plant and soil out of the container (consider flipping it over gently and use a spoon to nudge it out), then replant from there? Have all your supplies and containers ready by your side to do it quickly.

Another option is to say F it and simply add more soil… I don’t see why it’s necessarily a problem that you have a lengthy stem — are you limited by overhead space?

Hope that helps!

Can I just take the seedling out w tweezers or rubber gloves and then gently replant it a bit deeper in the same pot w same medium? So, the leaves start a bit lower than currently.

(I am using the black and gold seedling mix –works great — great airy and light- good water absorption)

Thank you!