So last fall I set up a small garden area to teach my little boy about growing groceries. My plan was to buy plants from a local nursery come mid to late April and transplant them to "our" garden, but my little 4/yo boy was hell bent on using seeds thanks to one of the cartoons he saw about a month ago. So we picked up a few packs of seeds while shopping and 2 weeks ago I let him make some trenches and sprinkle in the seeds - not expecting anything to come of it due to this being Michigan and in lat March we can usually expect snow and deep frost.
Well, fate has a way of biting me in the butt, we had 3 weeks of awesome weather and what do you know, the broccoli, carrots, and spinach are sprouting and doing well. The only problem is, I let a 4 year old do the planting, and all the seeds were just sort of "dropped" in the trenches and now the sprouts are VERY close together.
What are the chances that, after giving the plants time to become mature little seedlings, I can separate them and replant them with reasonable spacing? I've never had to go through this before, but assume the roots are going to be all tangled together.
If I can save them, the good news is I get to save a bundle on buying seedlings for these 3 crops.
Anyone gone through this before? What did you do?
I can take picture if that helps any.
Thanks
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MI Brandon
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Pictures help, but I think we see the problem....
Ideally, I'd separate the roots asap to avoid breaking or tearing them in the future. I did a similar thing this year with some lettuce seeds, although it was my fat fingers causing the problem.
Once you separate them, they will grow quicker as well. You'll notice better plant response to things such as water, sunlight, etc. by allowing each plant to not be crowded out by others.
Competition is always a good thing, however, not when you want to have a great vegetable crop!
Ideally, I'd separate the roots asap to avoid breaking or tearing them in the future. I did a similar thing this year with some lettuce seeds, although it was my fat fingers causing the problem.
Once you separate them, they will grow quicker as well. You'll notice better plant response to things such as water, sunlight, etc. by allowing each plant to not be crowded out by others.
Competition is always a good thing, however, not when you want to have a great vegetable crop!
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mandystenger
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Gotta love kids!! 
I am a beginning gardener, so somebody correct me if need be lol. I would guess that you should first off identify what plants are what. Then if you have several of the same type of plant together, you could cut the weaker ones at ground level & have less plants but they would be more spaced out...which would let them grow faster & produce more than a bunch of plants close together. I had some tomato plants last year that I planted 3 seeds per pod & they got to be 4 inches tall (& all 3 seeds grew in almost every pod) & they all looked healthy so instead of only keeping the healthiest plant in each pod, I kept them all with intentions of transplanting them. Well went I went to transplanting, they were so tangled that I broke most of the roots & ended up with dead tomato plants, lol. But I really don't know for sure what to tell you to do since I'm really kinda new at this...just telling you what I would do. If that made any sense lol. Good luck!
I am a beginning gardener, so somebody correct me if need be lol. I would guess that you should first off identify what plants are what. Then if you have several of the same type of plant together, you could cut the weaker ones at ground level & have less plants but they would be more spaced out...which would let them grow faster & produce more than a bunch of plants close together. I had some tomato plants last year that I planted 3 seeds per pod & they got to be 4 inches tall (& all 3 seeds grew in almost every pod) & they all looked healthy so instead of only keeping the healthiest plant in each pod, I kept them all with intentions of transplanting them. Well went I went to transplanting, they were so tangled that I broke most of the roots & ended up with dead tomato plants, lol. But I really don't know for sure what to tell you to do since I'm really kinda new at this...just telling you what I would do. If that made any sense lol. Good luck!-
MI Brandon
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The good thing is that each type of seed was planted in the correct bed, so hey aren't all jumbled together (as far as variety goes), they are actually in rows... about 4 rows for each variety with each row being about 2 feet long.
How would I go about separating them right now without killing them off? I have big hands, and I doubt my wife will do it, she has enough on her plate already. And the plants themselves are barely above ground. Could I wait another week or two so that the plants are mature enough to handle the "abuse" or would the roots be too tangled then? I'll try to get some pictures tonight or tomorrow if I can.
How would I go about separating them right now without killing them off? I have big hands, and I doubt my wife will do it, she has enough on her plate already. And the plants themselves are barely above ground. Could I wait another week or two so that the plants are mature enough to handle the "abuse" or would the roots be too tangled then? I'll try to get some pictures tonight or tomorrow if I can.
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DoubleDogFarm
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Ozark Lady
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I grow tobacco seeds, these are like dust. Almost impossible to plant just one per cell. I try for 3 maybe 4, but I did an oops and got a dozen in some cells. That will never do. I could wait till they grow some, but that means tangled roots and tangled leaves. So, if really too thick, I grab the tweezers and have at it. Just water it really well before you begin, and put some soil in a bowl, dampen it, and pull out the extras, put them in your bowl, keep roots damp, with wet paper towel or soil.
Then move on down and use tweezers to plant them. When they grow just a little bigger, I use a popsicle stick to lift them with a tiny dirt ball, and even use the popsicle stick to make the planting hole.
Tweezers really work pretty good, or forceps.
Then move on down and use tweezers to plant them. When they grow just a little bigger, I use a popsicle stick to lift them with a tiny dirt ball, and even use the popsicle stick to make the planting hole.
Tweezers really work pretty good, or forceps.
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MI Brandon
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Just an update.
I was able to successfully thin the spinach quite easily, and they are doing VERY well. I even pulled 16 of the little buggers and planted them in trays and those are also doing well.
Broccoli was a little more difficult, I pulled the sprouts and transplanted them to the other end of the bed with 6" of spacing between them and they took, but are not growing too fast. I also transplanted 16 of them to a tray and those are living, but none of them are getting any bigger really, just living. I plan on buying some seedlings anyhow, so if these transplants survive, then I'll have plenty of broccoli... I love broccoli, I've just never grown it from seed before.
As for the carrots, I thinned them out as much as possible, they pulled right out after I got the ground soggy. The remaining plants are still living and their leaves are getting bigger. In another week or so I will thin them out again so that I only have 1 plant ever 3 or 4 inches, and then a further thinning once baby carrots start to form so that my final spacing is about 6" apart.
... at least that is my plan.
Still got to get other vegetable/fruit "landscaping done. We plan on doing some blueberry bushes, a small strawberry bed, and other things.
This year will be fun, but next year is going to be awesome.
I was able to successfully thin the spinach quite easily, and they are doing VERY well. I even pulled 16 of the little buggers and planted them in trays and those are also doing well.
Broccoli was a little more difficult, I pulled the sprouts and transplanted them to the other end of the bed with 6" of spacing between them and they took, but are not growing too fast. I also transplanted 16 of them to a tray and those are living, but none of them are getting any bigger really, just living. I plan on buying some seedlings anyhow, so if these transplants survive, then I'll have plenty of broccoli... I love broccoli, I've just never grown it from seed before.
As for the carrots, I thinned them out as much as possible, they pulled right out after I got the ground soggy. The remaining plants are still living and their leaves are getting bigger. In another week or so I will thin them out again so that I only have 1 plant ever 3 or 4 inches, and then a further thinning once baby carrots start to form so that my final spacing is about 6" apart.
... at least that is my plan.
Still got to get other vegetable/fruit "landscaping done. We plan on doing some blueberry bushes, a small strawberry bed, and other things.
This year will be fun, but next year is going to be awesome.
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jal_ut
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I have many times transplanted broccoli. It may slow it down for a week, but it usually does just fine. Spinach I just thin if necessary. It can actually grow quite close together and thin it when it is about 3 or 4 inches tall and eat it. Carrots can stand as close as an inch apart. Thin when they are as big as your finger and eat them. Those left can grow larger. Enjoy!
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StorageSmart2
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Every time I try to grow strawberry from seed I have trouble with it, because the seeds are so tiny. If you're not picking up seedlings for this one, I would recommend not letting your son plant them.MI Brandon wrote: Still got to get other vegetable/fruit "landscaping done. We plan on doing some blueberry bushes, a small strawberry bed, and other things.
This year will be fun, but next year is going to be awesome.
Just so you know, I stopped trying a while ago and just bought seedlings. I always ended up with too many seeds too close together and I ended up damaging them while trying to seperate.