Thinning: Painful But Necessary
But thinning is one of those tasks that simply must be done if you want your plants to grow well. Whether you direct sowed annuals, vegetables, or herbs, chances are pretty good that you now have plants that are growing much too close to one another. If you leave them, the result will be scrawny plants that spend all of their energy trying to grow taller than their neighbors (in competition for that all-important sunlight!) and do not get bushy or produce fruit well, if at all.
Though thinking about it too much makes me cringe, thinning is actually a very simple, straightforward task. Every plant has a minimum amount of space it needs to grow well. This information can be found on seed packets, in books and catalogs, or, of course, on the web. Find the recommended spacing for your plant, and remove anything that is infringing on that plant's space. So, if you're growing carrots, the minimum spacing between plants is two inches. Start by removing any weak looking seedlings. After that, remove any growing in that two-inch space between the remaining plants. Compost the thinnings. Or, if you're thinning things like lettuces, greens, beets, or radishes, you can add the thinnings to a salad for a little extra flavor.
You can also thin a couple of different ways. Some people like to pull the plant out, root and all, and others prefer to use small scissors or pruners to cut the seedling off at soil level. This helps prevent the roots of the remaining plants from being disturbed too much. I am more likely to cut my seedlings when they're in close quarters, such as in a cell pack or small container, but to each his/her own.
So, let's hear it: does thinning pain you as much as it does me? Or is it just another part of the gardening life?
I just mentioned on Twitter Wednesday that I thinned my carrot seedlings and how it pained me to do it. But yes, it has to be done. I composted more seedlings than I kept.
For the beets, I gently dug the extras and replanted them in between the rows. Some will take and do fine, and some won’t, but at least I’ll save some.
Now…about those zinnias. It’s going to take me awhile before I muster up the strength to thin those.
My problem is I sometimes plant too much of one thing. I never know what will take or what will not so I plant extra in pots. My curse is gourds. I am a softie and they’ve all survived.
I have a few more seedlings waiting to be planted, but I’m thinking of putting them in the compost. I know if I put them in our awful soil they will just die and wither but they look so perky in their starter pots I don’t have the heart to do the deed.
I know its silly to anthropomorphize my plants, but that said, I do anyway.
LOl, next year only 2 or 3.