Could they be weak because of damping off, or because they need air movement to grow strong? This is known as hardening off, the way you do when you move them into the garden gradually so they don't die of shock. I was taught to run a fan--on low--to mimic a breeze, which forces my seedlings in their pots to develop stronger stems, as they would "in the wild."
I'm not really sure how to detect damping off. I just pulled my violets out of the closet (they're supposed to require dark for sprouting). They are even more sad than the beets. I don't let the soil dry, so maybe that's the problem. (I'd once read not to let the soil dry.) I also bottom-water, which I've read can be problematic (if I top-water, the seeds get washed out of the soil.) I had forgotten about the fan trick, though, so I pulled out the fan. Thanks for the reminder. Tricky business, all of it.
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