Thinning Day

Sunday was rainy and cold, and a perfect day to complete a key greenhouse task; culling, thinning, and transplanting seedlings.  Many
gardeners use the one seed per pot method to eliminate this task, but I do not for two reasons.  First and foremost, I am a frugal man.  I save seeds from my own plants as much as I can.  When seed goes on sale at the end of the season, I buy it up, as evidenced here.  If I don't use up a packet of seed, I save it for next year.  This means that my seed often has a lower germination rates than commercially sold seed packed for the current year. To compensate, I plant anywhere from 2 to 4 seeds per pot, depending on the age of the seed.  The picture of home-saved Black Krim tomato seedlings above can sometimes be the end result, although 6 seeds in one pot is unusual.  Reason #2 is so that I can cull weak plants.  The gene pool produces weak seeds and strong seeds.  If I cull the weaker plants and save seed from the best and most productive specimens, my crops will get better every year.  That process starts on Thinning Day.

My key tool for thinning is this dollar-store pair of manicure scissors.  Their small size, curved blades, and precision cuts make them perfect for this task.

One little snip and the stronger seedling no longer has to share space with little brother.

I don't cut them all.  Some I tease out of the soil by grabbing their leaves and pulling as gently as I can.  Avoid touching the stem...squeeze a stem, kill a seedling.

I transplant many seedlings into new pots.  Above are some of my TP pots with coconut fiber filling and freshly transplanted yellow beefsteak tomato seedlings.

I also transplanted into peat pots that failed to germinate seed.  I bought these grow kits a year and a half ago on sale.  The kits had peat pucks, seeds, and containers with clear lids.  I've just found that peat pots are terrible at germinating seed in my greenhouse.  I won't use them again.

A lot of seedlings were culled.  They didn't make the cut, but they will make the compost pile.

These transplanted seedlings were the big winners on thinning day, assuming they take root in their new homes.  They survived, and hopefully will go on to produce piles of tasty 'maters.