when to thin seedlings

You'll be left with only as many seedlings as you need. Thin stemmed seedlings don’t transplant well outside because they aren’t strong enough to withstand the elements. They’re usually hiding underneath the larger seedlings. Because they are thin and floppy, they can’t stand up as well to natural occurrences like wind and hard rain. Many garden sites will have you cut out seedlings to thin them but what a waste! I reduce down to two seedlings per pot, allowing ample space between the two remaining seedlings in the pot. Seedlings should be at least 3 inches tall and have a minimum of 2 pairs of true leaves before thinning. It's fussy work, and always hard to decide which ones to save and which to toss. More Tips. Thinning vegetable seedlings is one of the simplest of gardening tasks, but it is vital in order to grow healthy, full-sized vegetables. Sometimes it’s damp out in the garden, or it’s an uncommonly warm day. The steps are identical to those described above. For example, if my plants need to be 12 inches apart, the first time I’ll thin every 6 inches. Thin vegetable seedlings to ensure the full, healthy growth of remaining plants. You can start thinning them when they are at least 3-4 inches tall. Thinning also prevents the spread of disease and keeps seedling roots from getting tangled together as they grow. A few weeks later, the leek seedlings should be about 15-20cm tall and looking rather grass-like. Thin the seedlings when they are 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) tall. Thinning. The smaller plants can be used in cooking and eaten. If the stem tapers as you get closer to the soil line this is an indication of inconsistent watering (over or under) and again is a sign it should be snipped. It's important to thin seedlings in the seed trays and individual pots. I hate thinning out my seedlings but it's a necessary action to keep your garden healthy and thriving. Why thin? Depending on the type of seedlings you’re thinning, you can leave 1 to 2 inches of space for smaller plants, or 4 to 5 inches of space for larger plants such as cabbage or kale. Evening hours are a good time to thin seedlings as the cooler temps and darker conditions make it easier for the remaining seedlings to bounce back from any stress they may have received. Monitor the growth of the seedlings closely. tall before thinning. Step 7: Thin the plants so the strongest survive: Ideally, each container should have only one seedling in order for it to grow strong and healthy. Go ahead, print out this handy thinning chart. By thinning your seedlings you give your plants the proper space and nutrients they need to grow larger and faster. Seeds that are started late winter or early spring, when the sun is still low in the sky, are prone to this type of growth pattern. 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Every fall planting season I shuffle through seed packets to find out how to thin the seedlings. Dampen soil before thinning as it will be easier to pull plants up without resistance. Salad seeds are small, and best sown in rows outdoors. Let your seeds stay put until the next time you need them. Knowing when to thin seedlings is also important. When I have more than one of the seeds sprout, at what point should I thin them? During this season, the sunlight is barely strong enough to allow plants … Thin seedlings in the cool of the day or an hour or so after they have been watered; the seedlings will be plump with moisture. This makes it easier to transplant them outside later. Sure, some types of plants tolerate a little crowding. Gently pull out the unwanted seedlings, leaving the healthiest in place. It’s much better to plant seeds thickly and need to thin the resulting plants than to plant seeds far apart and find that too few of them have germinated to give you the crop you want. Some thinnings respond well to being replanted which is handy if you have gaps along your row. However, a general rule is to thin seedlings after one set of true leaves emerges on the plants. Dampen soil before thinning as it will be easier to pull plants up without resistance. Evening hours are a good time to thin seedlings as the cooler temps and darker conditions make it easier for the remaining seedlings to bounce back from any stress they may have received. Learning how to thin plants isn’t difficult. There are a couple of ways to thin out your seedlings once they get too crowded. This is a perfect time for me to thin out the seedlings. The stems grow thin because the plant is desperately reaching its leaves towards the light. When to thin seedlings? You should only have to thin your seedlings once, but if I have a lot of extra plants I will usually split it into two occasions. The cucumber is a warm-season vegetable that grows from either seeds or plant seedlings. Depending on what you are growing, you’ll want to thin plants out enough so that each seedling has a couple of inches of space (or two finger widths) on either side. The proper time for thinning seedlings will vary by plant species. Knowing when and how to thin plants is important for their overall health and success. Maybe even laminate the thing! The easiest way is to trim the extra seedlings away with a sharp pair of … While you may think you don’t want to waste seeds, seeds are generally inexpensive. Don’t let the seedlings get too big, as more leaves will form, which can cause crowding. This will allow easier removal of the small and weak seedlings while the healthiest seedlings begin to establish. Choose a cooler day or a warm evening to give your seedlings the best chance of recovering. Finally, thinning can help you avoid pests and other plagues, as you’ll be less likely to end up with a crowded grow space. Thinning is necessary when seedlings are growing in a tight group, or there’s more than one seedling growing in a seed tray cell, pellet, or seedling pot. Have you had to ‘thin’ your seedlings yet? Ok, so when do I need to thin my seedlings? Learning how to thin plants isn’t difficult. If you do it too late, the overdeveloped roots may cause damage to the remaining seedlings during the thinning process. When to Thin Seedlings It is best to wait until a couple weeks after sprouting, once the plants have developed a set of true leaves or two, but to not wait too much longer after that. How to thin seedlings without cutting them. Typically when sowing our favorite vegetable seeds, we put two or three seeds in each hole. Turnips grown for roots are thinned for the first time when the seedlings are about 4 inches tall. The first set of leaves you see when the plant begins to sprout are not the true leaves and should not be included in the 2 sets. It’s really up to you to … I would rather leave the seeds inside. Long and leggy leeks need cutting down to size Thinning. Water the seedlings in gently with a sprayer with a fine nozzle spray. Thinning gives them a chance to flourish! Your email address will not be published. Close. Seedlings should be at least 3 inches tall and have a minimum of 2 pairs of true leaves before thinning. Romaine and butterhead lettuce: 6 to 8 inches. The practice of thinning plants is done to allow them plenty of growing room so that they can receive all the proper growth requirements (moisture, nutrients, light, etc.) Use a chopstick or similar to lift roots carefully. I planted three seeds per hole in this raised bed. BEST TIME OF DAY TO THIN: At the coolest part of day and 10 minutes after watering. Thinning is the process of removing some of the seedlings so that the choosen few have space to grow. You don’t want to thin your seedlings as soon as they’ve germinated because they will still be very young and tender. Choose a cooler day or a warm evening to give your seedlings the best chance of recovering. Of course, I have found cloudy days to be just as effective. You can also spread mulch over top your soil to help retain moisture. (You can also use this method when growing flowers from seed.) More Thinning Tips. Some seed varieties require the process called “thinning,” meaning that excess seedlings which have germinated are removed to provide the necessary space for the plants to thrive. Here is a demonstration of this method of thinning out seedlings: This is a raised bed of butter beans that I planted last weekend. How to Thin Seedlings. Why It’s Important to Thin Seedlings. I simply forget. Pull them up by the roots and set them aside. This is when I like to thin them out and give them a trim. Soil should be damp not soggy. Without the proper amount of spacing between plants, your seedlings will never reach full maturity. Then a week later I will thin them out again to all be 12 inches apart. Again, depending on the plants and their mature size, spacing may vary. It isn't difficult to "cut" the dirt in half once it's time to transplant to the garden, … Simply cut out the smaller or weaker seedlings, keeping placement in mind. Ease the seedling out the growing medium using your pricking tool to ease out the roots – taking care to keep the roots as in tact as possible. Those having fragile roots, like beans and cucurbits (melons, squash, cucumbers), should be thinned as soon as possible, before their roots have a chance to become intertwined with one another. Top reasons to thin out your seedlings If crops are spaced too closely together they won’t be able to grow to the full-size because of root and nutrient competition. As recommended everywhere I saw online, I planted 2 or 3 seeds in each of my rockwool cubes. The easiest way to do this and with the least amount of root disturbance is to snip the unwanted seedlings at the soil line. Check your seedlings' moisture level daily and water as needed. Crowded plants limit air movement, which can lead to fungal diseases, especially if the foliage remains wet for extended periods. How to thin seedlings out…. You can see the cotyledons on these seedlings, but they do not have any true leaves yet. Thinning may not be at the top of many gardeners list of favourite jobs but it is an important one. The chore of thinning seedlings is essential for healthy plant growth and development, to maximize flower size, and to maximize crop production. I show you how. Gently pull the unwanted seedling or snip with scissors at the base. Seedlings should have at least two pairs of true leaves and be about 3 to 4 inches (7.5-9 cm.) You can easily thin your seedlings without resorting to killing off any little plants. 3 3. What are you growing in your vegetable garden this spring? Here’s how to thin vegetable seedlings: Thin seedlings in the cool of the day or an hour or so after they have been watered; the seedlings will be plump with moisture. Soggy soil acts like glue making it difficult for roots to separate from one another. When planting your own seeds, you'll need to thin … No more […] Gently lower the seedling into the hole you have prepared for it and gently firm in the growing medium around the roots. Of course, I have found cloudy days to be just as effective. While most people prefer a finger width between seedlings and on either side of them, I like to use two — it’s always better to be safe. Thinning involves selecting the strongest plant and removing the extras. Do not put the freshly potted up seedlings in the direct sun. Water and feed your seedlings routinely to keep them healthy! Most of the holes have two or three of the butter bean seedlings that have sprouted. However, not all plants handle thinning the same way. Although this type of success can be a great thing, most times the seedlings need to be thinned out so there is just one seedling per hole. Many flowers and leafy vegetables can also be thinned this way. Snip seedlings at soil level. Crowded seedlings can become stunted and have an increased susceptibility to diseases and pests. Thin using a garden scissors to snip off the top of the weakest or most closely crowded. Otherwise, the remaining seedlings may suffer from root disturbance. A few days ago it was finally time to thin out my radish seeds that I planted back in the beginning of April. How Often You’ll Need to Thin. First, seedlings that are too tall will have problems when they are moved outdoors. An alternative is to nip off seedlings using your fingernails. Remove the smaller, thinner, weak seedlings. Be ruthless. 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