You can thin out seedlings without digging them up, you know. Just take a pair of sharp snips with you into the garden....not in wet soil, please....and snip extras down to the ground. Unless, of course, you need all of those extra seedlings.

My mini snips are always in my apron pocket when I'm thinning the gardens after direct sowing.

Do you have a pair of tiny snips? Click to see an example.

I transplant many seedlings when they are about 3 inches tall. I divide existing plants in the spring shortly after they emerge from the ground. You should place your seedlings 1 to 3 feet apart. If you've grown them you must know how much they bush out so plant accordingly.

When I transplant young seedlings I first dig my holes and fill them with water. Then I go back and dig up my seedlings. By that time the water has sunk into the ground. I plant my seedlings in the prepared holes and cover them in. Watering the holes lets the plants roots hit moist soil as soon as they are planted. Once they are planted I cover them with an upside down flower pot and put a stone on top to keep it there. I leave the pot on for 3 days. This allows the plant to set down it's roots without coping with environmental pressures like wind or hot sun which would make them wilt. When you remove it you will see a ring of moisture right around the plant and the plant is looking strong and healthy.

I use water in the holes when I'm planting anything from divided plants to nursery grown plants and the ones I grow from seeds or cuttings.

Larkspur traditionally resent transplanting, so I would try to move the very smallest of the sprouts. Even the sprouts you can barely see would be worth moving, if you can take a bit of soil along with them. You could use a kitchen tablespoon to scoop some out from the center of a crowded spot. All the previous suggestions are also excellent advice. I love the idea of putting a pot over them for a few days of protection. I find it much easier to do a job on my own time, rather than waiting for the weather to cooperate.

Martha

All of you, thanks so much for the advice! I've had internet issues so my thank yous have been delayed

Ken_adrian: two to three inches, exactly what I needed to know. When I said "itty bitty," I meant cotyledon plus two to four leaves. Those don't transplant well, I guess because they are too tiny. So I need to let the seedlings get a bit more established before transplanting.

rhizo_1: I have missed out on a garden tool. A new must have. It's the thinning of the sprouted plants that is so hard to do, emotionally that is. I know it is necessary because the crowded plants never do well. My heart tells me to relocate, not snip.

dowlinggram: I love the idea of watering the hole before transplanting anything. That just makes so much sense!

Docmom_gw: Kitchen tablespoon, brilliant! Common sense that evaded me.

This is my first post in the garden forums (I have been a lurker and poster in the home forums). You all are awesome!

Glad I read this thread. I have tried to transplant delphinium seedlings without success, but I didn't have these ideas available. I tried to do them as a typical transplant, which basically disturbed the little roots, as well as exposed them to the elements.

I have also noticed that any seedlings which show a little bit of weakness seem to be food for pill bugs and slugs, so definitely transplant more than you think you'll need. It's easier to snip the ones you don't want later.