problem with seedlings

how come every time i plant a germed seed and it comes out of the soil the stem gets way too long, like 1 1/2'' to 2'' of stem and then the 2 little leaves. i plant it about a half inch below the soil and loosely pack the soil on top. what am i doing wrong? how can i prevent this? sorry i have no pics of them.

how far away is the lighting and what kind?

you arent doing anything wrong thats just how it happens, when you repot to a bigger pot just bury the stem like 1/2 way between where the soil is and the first leaves

I think it is probably light related as well. Your lights are not bright enough or they are too far away.

Yep its natural. What I do is start the seeds in a cup with about 2" less dirt than I plan to have. As soon as the plant is as tall as the brim i bury it to the cotyledons.

That is not WAY tall for a seedling at that stage of growth, but it is a slight bit tall. What sort of lighting are you using? How far from the tops of your seedlings is your light? Do you use a quality reflective material?

It sounds like you might be a tad bit under-lit, lacking enough light to keep seedlings a bit shorter by the time they push out leaves. If you do not have a fan blowing a light breeze across your seedlings it would be good to add one. The movement of the stem causes it to grow thicker and stronger faster, which is a plus, but that also means some of the energy that would be used for more upward growth will be used for thicker stem growth and that will help keep seedlings a tiny bit shorter early on. If you are already doing that, then I think maybe increasing your lighting in some way or ways might be something worth considering.

Throw a fan on them and the will gain strength and you shouldn't have to worry about them. Whiteflour has good advice, you can also just do that when transplanting them. Just keep some air movement so they stay healthy, keep a CFL about an inch or two from them and your all set.

well i grow outdoors so they get about 12 hours of sunlight. but i think i see where your going, the little guys are stretching out for more light right?

yeah thats usually what i do and then stick a skewer next to it and tie a string so it stays straight

Your worrying over nothing if its outside

oh cool man thanks i thought i was messin' something up.

Nah sunlight is the best light you can give them, so they will be fine.