thinning out spinach seedlings

Each leaf is covered in wrinkles and crinkles. Plant spinach during the cool weather of spring and fall. Add some water. It's fussy work, and always hard to decide which ones to save and which to toss. Wait until the seedlings are 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) tall and choose a mild day to start thinning them out. Therefore, no thinning is required. Lettuce. This article has been viewed 138,844 times. Closely examine the plants. Press your fingers on the soil around each desired seedling when you remove the neighbors if you are worried about disturbing the roots. Use a ruler to make sure the distance is correct. To save time and effort, many gardeners sow vegetable seeds—especially seeds that are very tiny—simply by broadcast sprinkling them in garden beds rather than sowing each seed individually. Thinning seedlings produces healthier plants and higher yields by reducing competition for water and nutrients and providing good air circulation between plants. You may need to thin the seedlings of seed broadcast across a planting bed more than once.   If you prefer to pull your seedlings rather than cutting them with scissors, thinning while the soil is damp will make it easier to slip them out without disturbing everything nearby. When germination rates are high, beets require thinning to make room for the developing bulb. Can I leave the cut seedlings on the soil? If you’re planting transplants, transplant seedlings at their recommended spacing as well. Use garden snips or a scissors to thin out crowded seedlings. Beets, carrots, parsnips, cucumbers, melons, and squash are among the plants that cannot be pulled out and planted elsewhere. 5 seedlings of Russian Kale. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Putting the seedlings out to 1-1/2 or even 2 inches apart once they have the first leaf will keep them shorter. RAKE METHOD OF THINNING: Lettuce, spinach and other greens can be thinned by hand or with a flexible rake. This article has been viewed 138,844 times. To avoid wasting seed and negate the need for thinning, if you have the time and patience, spinach seeds are big enough to handle individually, so you can plant each one in their final position, at 6 to 12 inches apart. To do this, carefully remove the whole chunk of soil, seedlings and roots out of their small container. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. Maybe you just forgot to water often enough! Discard the seedlings when you are done. Dry soil stops the seedlings from accessing the nutrients they need to grow strong stems and leaves. Thus, a kneeling pad can be a helpful tool to keep you comfortable. If the spacing is too small you may need to thin out the seedlings again later. Space rows 8 to 12 inches apart. % of people told us that this article helped them. Thinning Seedlings by Separating Another method used to thin seedlings is by gently separating them. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. However, the seedlings won't be perfectly spaced. Thin plants to 6 inches apart for best growth and to maintain good air circulation. "Didn't know about seed leaves vs. true leaves!". If you are starting your seeds indoors, start them three weeks before the last expected frost date. Although it can feel wrong to remove healthy plants, this prevents fungal and growth problems later on. For example, if you like to harvest tiny carrots, leave the seedlings tightly spaced. Spinach grows quickly, and baby spinach leaves can be ready to harvest in around 40 days. From the Southwest Yard & Garden mailbag - Learn how to thin out lettuce and spinach sprouts in the garden. We recommend using a 20-row seed flat; the shallow channels in the flat allow you to minimize the amount of growing medium needed while maximizing the number of seeds you can start on a heat mat. When planting this cole crop in rows, thin your seedlings or set out your transplants so that they are 12-18 inches apart, with 2-3 feet between rows. Savoy is a sturdy spinach plant with good cold tolerance. The other option is to thin greens when they are tall enough to eat – my preferred method for greens. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. So, instead of pulling, simply use scissors to snip off the seedlings you don't want at the soil line. After thinning your sowings to 15cm apart, the most important thing is to keep your spinach well watered. If you’re short on space and try planting plants closer they will end up not doing as well in the end. If you are growing vegetable seedlings in blocks rather than rows, you can run a flexible rake through the seedlings to thin them out. You can also use a seed sower to release one seed … As a result, too many seedlings sprout and are packed too closely together. When this happens, gardeners must systematically remove the extra seedlings to provide enough space for the remaining seedlings to grow. References. Properly spaced plants will help your garden be fruitful and thriving! Thinning long rows of seedlings requires bending and working close to the ground. I like to use needlenose kitchen scissors, because they are … Here's and easier way: When the first true leaves appear, snip off the extra seedlings at the soil line. Avoid choosing tall and spindly seedlings, as these may not become healthy adults. Cover lightly with soil, firm in place and water well. In hot weather, set up temporary shade for your spinach crop to stop the soil drying out and the crop bolting (running to seed). Protect seedlings from flea beetles, aphids, and leafhoppers with floating row covers. Thin out weaker spinach seedlings to give healthy plants plenty of room to grow, and harvest as soon as you see rosettes of 5-6 leaves. How to Thin Out your Seedlings Read the seed packet to know the recommended distance so the plant can reach maturity. Seedlings must be thinned out to grow into healthy and strong adults. So, to thin root vegetables, carefully remove one seedling at a time, either by gently pulling it from the ground or cutting it at ground level. Keep spinach evenly moist and mulch planting beds to keep the soil cool. 1. As you might imagine, this can make cleaning your spinach a bit more difficult, so instead of washing under running water, soak them in cold water to dislodge the dirt hiding in the folds. The objective in thinning is to leave the remaining seedlings undisturbed. Growing spinach is easy, as long as you plant it at the right time and provide it with sufficient water and fertilizer. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Plant spinach seeds an inch apart in rows 14-18 inches apart and cover the seeds with a 1/2 inch of soil. Whether you choose to start seeds indoors or out, following a few guidelines will ensure a healthy crop. Snip or nip away seedling tops at ground level. Step 2. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Seedlings are usually thinned when they have one to two sets of leaves. That saves seeds, plus it saves a lot of time later on when it comes to thinning out the plants. All you need is fingers. Keep the garden free of plant debris that can harbor pests. Baby plants can grow weak, skinny stems if the seed raising mix dries out or is poor quality. See the “How To Choose Which Seedlings To Thin” section above to figure out which seedlings to thin, and which ones to keep. Maybe you just forgot to water often enough! If you prefer to avoid disturbing the soil (and nearby plants), you can use garden scissors or snips to cut off the unwanted seedlings at ground level. In addition, thinning in the evening gives the remaining plants a chance to adjust before being exposed to heat and sunlight. Thinning can disturb the soil, so it's best to lightly mist the remaining seedlings after thinning to rejuvenate the plants. However, it takes longer than simply pulling up the roots. Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrition and flavor, especially when you grow it at home by starting your own spinach seedlings from seed. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. By using our site, you agree to our. Nobody likes to thin seedlings. Bigger distances tend to stunt the small vegetable seedlings. Most plants will be 2 to 3 inches tall by then making them easy enough to grasp and pull out. Taller seedlings aren’t always stronger. Seedlings are usually thinned when they have one to two sets of leaves. Gently tamp down on the root ball. Here are spacing recommendations for a few commonly grown vegetables: Seedlings can be easily plucked with your fingers simply by gripping them between your thumb and forefinger and giving a gentle tug. How many seedlings you take out—and the spacing you allow for the remaining seedlings—will depend on whether you want your vegetables to grow to full size or if you prefer to eat them early. Remove intermediate seedlings first. With tiny seeds, it’s tempting to simply scatter them in one large tray and thin the seedlings as they grow, but proper spacing helps prevents leggy seedlings as well. Gently prick out small seedlings and transplant them into their own cells if you are wary of disposing of extra sprouts. Can you explain the process of transplanting seed? {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/18\/Thin-Out-Seedlings-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Thin-Out-Seedlings-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/18\/Thin-Out-Seedlings-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid359458-v4-728px-Thin-Out-Seedlings-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"