Newbie here! Guidance on thinning seedlings

5 years ago

Hi there! Totally new to vegetable gardening. We have four raised beds, and have been sowing seeds for the last month (I live in Denver, CO area) and so far, it appears I don't have an entirely black thumb, wahoo! One thing I would love some guidance on: how do I know when I should or shouldn't thin seedlings? The plants in question are kale, ruby chard and carrots.

I've attached a few photos of the little chard and kale.

For the greens, there are several sprouts, which each seem to be developing into its own leaf. In those instances, do those need to be thinned? Or will that whole clump eventually form the head of the leaves? But then in other instances it's hard to tell.

For the carrots, how does one thin carrots?

Thank you in advance!

Featured Answer

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Chard and beets have seeds that are actually clusters of seeds in a common husk. So multiple plants germinating from a single "seed" is common. For chard, in my experience, if you leave a few plants growing together, the net bunch of plants will produce as much as a single one would. Like multiple stems n one plant. I often leave two together. Probably true with kale as well. But feel free to thin to a single plant if you want. If you find yourself needing more plants, just gently separate the seedlings and replant. I do that routinely with beets, which for me, often don't germinate very completely.

For root vegetables, spacing is important. Crowded plants won't produce properly. Depending on variety, you'll want them a few inches apart. I would thin to an inch, and then when the plants are more mature, pluck out the weaker ones to get your few inches.

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Comments (6)

stevie
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
unless you're harvesting baby greens, definitely thin them.. I thin after a minimum of at least 2 pairs (4) of true leaves have grown. if you thin too early, one might die and you end up with nothing, and many times one grows faster than the others.

leave the ones that look the most developed and fastest growing and eat the ones you thin.

it's better to carefully snip them with a scissors to avoid damaging the other one or pulling it out with the one you're thinning.. especially for carrots as you can disturb the other and then you might end up with oddly shaped carrots.
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
5 years ago
For the greens you could snip off the excess. But if you want more plants lift the whole clump, pull the seedlings apart and replant separately.
User
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks all for the guidance I appreciate it! I thinned this weekend and the plants already seem to be happier afterwards!
war garden
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
or you could just crack open the beet seed clusters and

plant each seed at final placement spacing. then replant

where the seed doesn't germinate..
lgteacher
5 years ago
What I find easier is to sow the seeds farther apart and fill in gaps later if some don't germinate. When I had a school garden, the kids glued the seeds on paper towels, and then we planted the whole thing. Use washable glue so it dissolves. We had nicely spaced radishes.