a new question! I've done some searching but can't find a question that's close enough to mine to help me.
I have a raised vegetable garden with a few plants that I bought and a few seeds that I put directly in teh soil.
miraculously, my seeds are turning into seedlings! but now I don't know what to do. I know I have to thin out the seedlings but I don't know how.
1. how do I pick which seedlings to eliminate (so sad!)? the smallest?
2. the first are squash (I have 3 mounds, each with 2 seedlings). how many do I want to keep? there are also cucumber and tomatoes in the 4x10 bed.
3. the second are cucumbers. I already have one plant in the bed and then 3 seedlings have sprouted. how many do I keep?
4. how do I actually do the thinning? just cut out the seedling with a pruner?
5. do I thin now or when there are true leaves? or another time?
here are photos of the seedlings:
squash
[img]https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4647676268_fd196d1079.jpg[/img]
cucumber
[img]https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4647060521_2d59089967.jpg[/img][/img]
- supagirl277
- Senior Member
- Posts: 109
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 7:08 pm
- Location: Utah Hardiness Zone: 6b
-
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 6:45 pm
- Location: Clayton, NC
I'd love to grow them all, but I'll end up with 6 summer squash plants and 6 cucumber plants in about a 4x6 area! probably too much, right?
there are also tomatoes in the same bed, taking up about a 4x4 area.
sadly, I don't really have a spot to transplant them to.
so I can just snip it at the stem low down?
there are also tomatoes in the same bed, taking up about a 4x4 area.
sadly, I don't really have a spot to transplant them to.
so I can just snip it at the stem low down?
- supagirl277
- Senior Member
- Posts: 109
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 7:08 pm
- Location: Utah Hardiness Zone: 6b
It sounds like you are good with your squash and zucchini. If you really want to thin, just pinch the weakest looking seedling at the stem and compost it. If you want to move the seedling, dig it up at the roots, being careful not to damage them.
You should thin them when they look like they are established and growing or when one is stronger-looking than the others.
You should thin them when they look like they are established and growing or when one is stronger-looking than the others.