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Thinning seedlings
The potty gardener
Posts: 1,448
in Plants
I know that to most this would be a stupid question but- I sowed some cornflower and and nigella seeds. I think that I did far too many. How do I thin out them? Can I just pull some out and about how close can the ones I leave be?
Here they are
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Posts
Thin by easing out the weak ones to leave stronger plants 3 inch apart.
Bev, neither look like Nigella to me. Agree with FB. Can't tell if they are in a tray or modules, if in modules just leave 2 in each & split when ready to plant out.
Looking better than my Gypso..thingies..
They could be cornflower, some types do look tlike this, at least the ones my friend grew on her allotment a couple of years ago were like this in their trays. Thin out to a couple per module, and plant aout. then let them sort themselves out - they will. Do take out the weakest and thinnest looking, as the bigger ones will take over and grow strongly anyway.
If you look in the bottom of the tray with the light greenplants there's something that could be Nigella leaves
In the sticks near Peterborough
The pic obviously isn't very good. They are all planted straight into a large container (with an apple tree in the middle) outside. I just sprinkled seed on.
I can see the tree trunk now
In the sticks near Peterborough
I use peat pots to sow things in and use heat to get them going. It makes thinning a thing of the past as well as allows you to have more plants from the same packet of seeds. The peat pots do dry out quicker than normal pots but I think it is a better way?
Oh, well about half a dozen would probably have been enough then - never mind - give them a good soaking, tease some out gently and firm the others in. If you've got somewhere suitable the thinnings may well cope with being replanted if you give them a bit of tlc.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you everyone. I will be out later sorting them out.