That raises the issue of spacing. Use garden snips or a scissors to thin out crowded seedlings.   If you prefer to pull your seedlings rather than cutting them with scissors, thinning while the soil is damp will make it easier to slip them out without disturbing everything nearby. It's easiest to wait until the seedlings are tall enough to grasp. Keep spinach evenly moist and mulch planting beds to keep the soil cool. Seedlings are usually thinned when they have one to two sets of leaves. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 138,844 times. Seedlings are usually thinned when they have one to two sets of leaves. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Finally, some gardeners find it difficult to sacrifice so many vegetable plants. Grown as an annual, the seeds are planted 1/2 inch deep and spaced 2 to 3 inches apart. It works really well for spinach too. References. Thinning seedlings produces healthier plants and higher yields by reducing competition for water and nutrients and providing good air circulation between plants. Closely examine the plants. Monitor the growth of the seedlings closely. After years of gardening I ‘guess’ rather than measuring exactly. The idea is not to disturb the roots during transplant. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. So, instead of pulling, simply use scissors to snip off the seedlings you don't want at the soil line. "Didn't know about seed leaves vs. true leaves!". 1 You can thin out any seedlings with scissors if you are worried about damaging the roots of the desired plants. With tiny seeds, it’s tempting to simply scatter them in one large tray and thin the seedlings as they grow, but proper spacing helps prevents leggy seedlings as well. Most plants will be 2 to 3 inches tall by then making them easy enough to grasp and pull out. If you prefer to pull your seedlings rather than cutting them with scissors, thinning while the soil is damp will make it easier to slip them out without disturbing everything nearby. It’s best to thin them between seven and 10 days, before the roots can become tangles. Alternatively, you can wash the microgreens and use them in a salad! To do this, carefully remove the whole chunk of soil, seedlings and roots out of their small container. Thin out weaker spinach seedlings to give healthy plants plenty of room to grow, and harvest as soon as you see rosettes of 5-6 leaves. Keep the soil moist and after the seeds germinate thin them to stand 3-5 inches apart. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a wonderful source of Vitamin A and one of the healthiest plants that we can grow.In fact, growing spinach in the home garden is a great way to get plenty of iron, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and K. 5 seedlings of Russian Kale. Baby plants can grow weak, skinny stems if the seed raising mix dries out or is poor quality. Follow these few simple steps to thin seedlings. University of Maryland Extension Website, Marie Iannotti is an author, photographer, and speaker with 27 years of experience as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator and Master Gardener. That way, you shouldn't disrupt the remaining plants. Spinach thrives in fertile soil that doesn’t easily dry out. If you prefer to avoid disturbing the soil (and nearby plants), you can use garden scissors or snips to cut off the unwanted seedlings at ground level. Thinning long rows of seedlings requires bending and working close to the ground. However, the seedlings won't be perfectly spaced. All you need is fingers. To save time and effort, many gardeners sow vegetable seeds—especially seeds that are very tiny—simply by broadcast sprinkling them in garden beds rather than sowing each seed individually. Prepare Site. Spring radishes typically germinate within four or five days and have reached the sprout stage by the time they’re a week old. Stake the plant if it needs (or will need) support. Creating enough space between the plants lets each seedling get all of the sunlight, water, and nutrients it needs. When planting this cole crop in rows, thin your seedlings or set out your transplants so that they are 12-18 inches apart, with 2-3 feet between rows. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. Maybe you just forgot to water often enough! Sow the spinach seeds thinly in rows spaced about one to 1 1/2 feet apart or simply scatter the seeds in blocks. Also, transplanting long-rooted vegetables, such as carrots and turnips, can cause them to fork. Hand-pulling the seedlings that you'd like to thin out can disturb the roots of the seedlings that you'd like to keep. The plants are ready for thinning when the second set of true leaves shows up. You may need to thin the seedlings of seed broadcast across a planting bed more than once. I like to use needlenose kitchen scissors, because they are … Seedlings started in pots usually don't have to be thinned because you can separate them when it's time to transplant them outdoors. 1. % of people told us that this article helped them. Pepper seeds should be planted ¼" deep in a fine-textured seed-starting mix or vermiculite to provide good drainage. From here I gently scoop out the leaves trying to leave the dirt on the bottom of the sink or bowl and transfer them to the other side of the sink full of water for the second rinsing. The guy we bought plants from (who sells to every successful gardener I know) suggested to soak 1/8 teaspoon seeds in 1teaspoon sugar for 1 minute. Discard the seedlings when you are done. Wait until the seedlings are 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) tall and choose a mild day to start thinning them out. Begin thinning as soon as seedlings are large enough to handle. By the way, rinsing this way is way easier than using a colander. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. See the “How To Choose Which Seedlings To Thin” section above to figure out which seedlings to thin, and which ones to keep. Plant spinach seeds an inch apart in rows 14-18 inches apart and cover the seeds with a 1/2 inch of soil. Add more compost/fertilizer around the root ball if you can. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Keep the soil moist until germination. As you might imagine, this can make cleaning your spinach a bit more difficult, so instead of washing under running water, soak them in cold water to dislodge the dirt hiding in the folds. Maybe you just forgot to water often enough! Space rows 8 to 12 inches apart. However, seeds that are directly sown into the ground almost always require thinning. For example, for beans it's 4 in (10 cm) and for corn it's 1–1.5 ft (30–46 cm). Thinning can disturb the soil, so it's best to lightly mist the remaining seedlings after thinning to rejuvenate the plants. Can I leave the cut seedlings on the soil? We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Then sprinkle the sugar mix in the baskets and gently brush hands over dirt. If the spacing is too small you may need to thin out the seedlings again later. How to Thin Out your Seedlings Read the seed packet to know the recommended distance so the plant can reach maturity. Thus, a kneeling pad can be a helpful tool to keep you comfortable. Cover lightly with soil, firm in place and water well. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Read our. If you don’t manage them during initial development, overcrowded seedlings will try to grow taller and taller as they compete with each other for light. Plant spinach during the cool weather of spring and fall. The symptoms of this condition include the seedling wilting and toppling over, the stem near the soil line becoming watery and girdled, and the roots becoming stunted and blackened. Use the right tool for thinning seedlings – Garden pruning shears are way too big and clumsy to use for this delicate job, and it’s easy to accidentally damage other seedlings … Although the sources are different, the result is usually the same – a condition known as either damping off or seedling blight. This way removes the dirt that can stay in a colander. about the cornell lab of dr. thomas bjorkman Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Two are growing much larger than the other 3. The objective in thinning is to leave the remaining seedlings undisturbed. Seedlings must be thinned out to grow into healthy and strong adults. Thinning Seedlings by Separating Another method used to thin seedlings is by gently separating them. Because spinach matures quickly, planting successive crops a few weeks apart is the best way of having fresh spinach all season long. Dry soil stops the seedlings from accessing the nutrients they need to grow strong stems and leaves. To avoid wasting seed and negate the need for thinning, if you have the time and patience, spinach seeds are big enough to handle individually, so you can plant each one in their final position, at 6 to 12 inches apart. Debra LaGattuta is a certified master gardener with decades of experience with perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Avoid choosing tall and spindly seedlings, as these may not become healthy adults. Root vegetables can be sensitive to thinning because disturbing the young roots can cause deformities. It's easier to pull up roots from damp soil. Tips for Growing 10 Types of Vegetables in Containers, Vegetable Seeds or Seedlings? This article has been viewed 138,844 times. Most gardeners like to do this in several passes to determine the strongest plants to save. Gently remove the roots and soil from the pot and set them in the hole. Lettuce. In addition, thinning in the evening gives the remaining plants a chance to adjust before being exposed to heat and sunlight. Just pull up the weaker or smaller ones. You can also use a seed sower to release one seed … [1] X Research source It's easiest to wait until the seedlings are tall enough to grasp. 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