Time to thin tomatoe seedlings in starter pots....

[boggybranch]

....and just found out, from a friend, that you can take the cut seedlings and stick em back into starter mix and they will take root. Always knew you could take cuttings from large tomato plants and root them but thought the fragile seedlings (even before "true" leaves appear) would not root.
Made me happy, as I hate having to thin and lose plants.
Gonna try it with my beets seedling next.....may not work, but I won't know till I try.

[bigdoug]

I'm wondering why you are thinning before any "true leaves" appear. It was always my understanding that you want to wait until you get true leaves to really establish which ones are the strongest seedlings.

[rainbowgardener]

I also hate to thin and lose plants, so I just separate them and transplant them out. I do cull some if they look too puny or not well developed root systems -- the advantage of lifting them out for transplant is you get to inspect the roots. As long as the plant is looking really healthy, I repot it.

[boggybranch]

I'm wondering why you are thinning before any "true leaves" appear. It was always my understanding that you want to wait until you get true leaves to really establish which ones are the strongest seedlings.

That's what I usually do....but you don't have too. I can tell, most of the time, which is the strongest before the true leaves appear.......strong straight stem, no "deformed" seed leaves, and no signs of damping off. Has worked so far....course, I could have "culled" some that may have been, even, stronger.

[gixxerific]

I don't cull much either. I just transplanted a bunch of tomatoes and out of all the seeds I planted and sprouted I only culled about 5 - 7 and those were later in the transplanting. Maybe because I was getting tired or maybe because I was being over run with tomatoes.

[mrsgreenthumbs]

I hate "culling" any thing, I always feel like the bad guy. I'll usually find a place to stick any plant if it survives cool if not then at least I gave it a chance. and If I simply have too much, well I give them away to family and friends and if they don't need them then just on Craigs List.

[Ozark Lady]

I don't cull.

But, alot of the time, I over plant the seedling trays, and it is obvious from the beginning, that it is overcrowded. I don't wait for true leaves, by then the roots are hopelessly entangled.

I have found that with only 6 seeds in a styrofoam cup and transplanting at 6 days, from sowing... the roots are already tangled, as are the leaves as I try to separate them out.

I thought 6 seeds at 70% germination would be 4 plants etc... On many I got 100% and on a few I got 120% how I did that is still a mystery!

[garden5]

I don't cull.

But, alot of the time, I over plant the seedling trays, and it is obvious from the beginning, that it is overcrowded. I don't wait for true leaves, by then the roots are hopelessly entangled.

I have found that with only 6 seeds in a styrofoam cup and transplanting at 6 days, from sowing... the roots are already tangled, as are the leaves as I try to separate them out.

I thought 6 seeds at 70% germination would be 4 plants etc... On many I got 100% and on a few I got 120% how I did that is still a mystery!

Occasionally, if you look really close at a seed, you will notice that it is really two seedlings stuck together. This probably explains the 120% germination. Although, sometime one seed can contain two or more plants, but this depends on plant and variety.