Was afraid I screw it up and up killing all 3 if I try that

This video may give you a bit more confidence. Those seedlings are quite durable.

Try it with one and you'll see how easy it is to separate them. And even if you get a bit of minor root damage they recover quickly.

Dave

If you're scared about pulling a root ball apart, just slice it in halves or thirds with a knife. You'll get plenty of roots with each plant. Be sure to thoroughly moisten your mix before you plant in it.

Occasionally I will end up with a seedling with no roots whatsoever. I just make a hole in the pot and bury it up to the leaves and keep it moist and they take right off.

Get a spoon and take them out ( few hours after watering) They sshoud come apart real easy ...then pot them.

Tomato seedlings are some of the forgiving plants, after onions family.

Sey

Thanks guys. Will do.

what about for peppers (jalapeño, habenero)? Should I dare try separating them as well?

depends how close they are and how much they've developed. anything less than half inch apart, you would likely do a good amount of damage to both plant roots. peppers are generally a bit more picky than tomatoes when it comes to having their roots disturbed. i have done it on very young seedlings, but typically results in stunted growth for a week or two. do it if you must, otherwise i'd avoid it, you run the risk of delaying their growth as they try to recover.

I often just plant "doubles", where two seedlings came up together. Just thin to two. The way it turns out is that the total growth of both plants together is essentially the same as one plant would have been. The final result is pretty much indistinguishable from one plant. Yes, each plant will only grow to half size, but you've got two plants. This is handy insurance in case one plant dies. No gaps. So no, you don't really end up with more independent plants, but you do get that insurance.

I've got twelve feet of trellised cherry tomatoes, and they were all planted as doubles. They're growing like crazy and are already four feet high and setting fruit, filling the trellis. They'll eventually spill over the top of my seven foot trellis.

"what about for peppers (jalapeño, habenero)? Should I dare try separating them as well?"

Yes. It is just as easy to do as tomatoes.

Dave