---
title: "What am I doing wrong? This is my first year starting veggies from…"
description: "What am I doing wrong? This is my first year starting veggies from seed, and I just can’t get the lighting right. My broccoli is both leggy AND scorched, and…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/CQDcNKuFT2eBWinfsTKHmQ/FJsIKKIUodfGILnnWYLUa6"
community: "Gardening and Outdoor"
author: "Rayven"
published: "2025-04-15T12:57:18.404015Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/TbIaE0yvBb-PGkWnvsjjUxCOYhv28QVK9yOTGt9rlew/-28dp3_AQbCIq6vUd7yD8A.webp?size=large"
---

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# What am I doing wrong? This is my first year starting veggies from…

_Posted by Rayven on 2025-04-15_

What am I doing wrong? This is my first year starting veggies from seed, and I just can’t get the lighting right. My broccoli is both leggy AND scorched, and my lettuce is doing this. I have grow lights exactly 4 inches from the plants, on for 12-16 hours a day. They get watered from below 1-2 times per week. My peppers and cukes are THRIVING, everything else seems to hate me.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/TbIaE0yvBb-PGkWnvsjjUxCOYhv28QVK9yOTGt9rlew/-28dp3_AQbCIq6vUd7yD8A.webp?size=large)

## 3 comments

### BotanicalBookworm\_13 commented on 2025-04-15

I would recommend to just leave them be. If they looked scorched though you should move them (this happened this year with my tomatoes because they were in a south facing window so I moved them to an east/west facing window). But when a plant is that young they will most likely work themselves out. But remember if you are planning on move them outside, please go through the hardening off process!

#### Rayven replied on 2025-04-15

Thank you for your reply! My lettuce is one of the only things I have left from my first attempt (this is try #2) so I’m getting very protective over it haha! I’m mostly worried about my broccoli which isn’t pictured, but this is round two and they have again grown to 3”+ tall with no sign of true leaves. I’ve heard broccoli can be very hard to grow from seed for beginners so I’ll give it one more go before I just buy starts from the greenhouse!

#### BotanicalBookworm\_13 replied on 2025-04-15

Well if the broccoli is what you are worried about, then you are worried about a usual occurrence! Broccoli seedlings start with the round two leaves called cotyledon leaves (at least I think that’s what they’re called). Then the seedlings grow another 4ish inches before starting real true leaves

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