Snapdragon Potomac Seedlings

RJP

Hi, does anyone know why my Snapdragon seedlings are purple or pale green? 

They are Potomac Crimson, Dark Pink & Royal. Haven't grown them before but it feels wrong. The compost is Sylva Grow Multipurpose (peat-free) & they are fed with liquid seaweed.

GardenerSuze

@richardparker360 The ones with darker leaves will have darker flowers. Welcome!

RJP

Thanks for your help.

MrMow

I also found this thread very useful 

Fairygirl

Don't keep feeding them. They don't need anything at this stage - no seedling does. They have enough nutrition in the compost, and each time they're potted on, they have enough nutrients in the new compost 
As @GardenerSuze says- the dark ones have the dark flowers. That's quite common with many plants - the foliage and/or stems are darker when the flowers are dark. Lilies are the same. red ones have dark stems 

GardenerSuze

 If you prefer a white foxglove, leaves will be plain green A pink foxglove has just a hint of pink at the base of the leaves.

MrMow

Some of my early seedlings were done in Homebase compost. Anything planted into that has been struggling, the compost holds water like a bucket has an oily film on it and shows no growth to seedlings.

Not sure what is the worst Homebase or John Innes no 2 mud I have seen better mixed ballast, I thought John Innes as quality stuff. will never buy that again. not fit for a border.

Fairygirl

John Innes 2 is mainly for long term planting - like shrubs or trees,  in pots. The numbers are just related to the type of mix. 
J.Innes is just a formula, hence the different types. I think they do a seed compost, but it's always worth adding Perlite or grit to ensure good drainage.
Some seeds are fine with a heavier mix, so you wouldn't need the grit/Perlite. Sweet peas for example   

MrMow

It was sold to me as potting on compost for my seedlings . growing plants and seedlings is like a duck out of water to me.

I would still not want to use John Innes ever again, garden plants are not my trade and happy to learn and ask questions. I have heard the name of John Innes so expected quality what I got was beyond garbage for potting on compost.

Thanks for the reply Fairygirl.

Fairygirl

There's been umpteen threads this year about how poor many composts are unfortunately. The peat free stuff seems very inconsistent, so it can be pot luck.
Many people have mentioned Sylvagrow as being good, but it isn't available everywhere.
I've just been saying on another thread that I used Miracle Gro as an experiment when sowing my sweet peas earlier this year. I sowed them all in either that, or the compost I normally use. There wasn't a huge difference in the germination, so it might be worth trying that. I got it in B&Q.
I use Perlite for mixing with my compost, but it also depends on the seed. Sweet peas don't mind a heavier mix, but many seeds need a lighter, freer draining medium, so that's always a factor when sowing. It's easy for seeds, and tiny seedlings, to get waterlogged 

MrMow