What's the deal with airplane food (and my plants)?

Hey there everyone! I'm new to this whole growing thing, but I germinated some seeds 3 weeks ago, planted two of them, and now I have these. Problem is, they aren't even 3 inches yet. I know that something is going on, and I have a T5 light sittin about 3 inches from the plants. I got them on a 18 on 6 off schedual right now. The leaves look nice, but they're shorties! I'm only watering them when the soil starts to crack. Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!
First two pictures are one, and the next two are the other.

so how old are they since they sprouted? can you post a pic of your light set up and how far away from the plants are they?

3 weeks from germ? so your plants sprouted about 18-19 days ago? They look healthy and all but stunted. Here is one of mine 17 days from sprout.

You say you are only watering them when the soil starts to crack; how much do you water them? Do you water until there is water running out of the drainage holes?
It looks as if the medium is half-wet on the surface. When you water you really want to saturate the soil/medium and water enough so there will be run-off. You don't want dry spots, nor do you want the medium to get dehydrated entirely before watering.

Here is my light set up. The T5 light is about 4 1/2 inches from the tops of the plants and it's a single fixture. Do you think that might be too high up from the plants?


Nullis, I'm glad you mentioned that because that is something I had been wondering about. I've heard alot about how you don't want to overwater the plants, so I've been spraying the plants with a water bottle until the soil is moistened. I've been hesitant to water them any more than that, but I'll go for it.

you need to put that bitch about to touch the leaves id throw two more cfl's in there

I have a 26w/100 watt equivalent cfl that I could use. Think that would work?

You can put the T5 just about a couple inches from the plants, adding in some compact fluorescent lights wouldn't hurt. If the plant actually touches the bulb for any prolonged period of time it could still burn it. Even so, that lighting might only support a couple more weeks of any vigorous growth.

Now I can assure you that your plants are not growing because you are not watering them properly. They really need the water to support new growth. Don't worry so much about over-watering. That is something that happens from watering obsessively; when it really isn't necessary to because the soil is still moist. Plant roots need oxygen too, and when the soil is sopping wet all of the time it is difficult for the roots to obtain that's all.

Lift up your pots and you will feel how light they are...so water them good, until there is excess coming out of the drainage holes. You want to see run-off for a few reasons: it ensures you have watered thoroughly, you can collect it and check the pH and it also washes away salt accumulation. Afterward lift the pot and you will feel how heavy it is. When your pots are sufficiently heavy like that, you're all set. Now you wait a few days and lift them again, if they are about as light as that first time you lifted them; it is time to water. A second indicator is to check the first inch or so of soil. If that top soil is bone dry, then it is time to water.
You're not going to need to water very frequently at first. But, don't be surprised when your containers get lighter, quicker. As your plant develops more roots and foliage it will require more frequent watering (perhaps even daily), until it is time to transplant. After transplanting into a larger container you can typically go back to watering less frequently for a while.

Awesome! Thanks for all the advice everyone. I'll keep you posted with pictures once they start to grow up.