Thinning Out...

My tomato seedlings, so what is the best way to do it??? In regards to grabbing them, by the leaves, the stem, or the whole cell it-self, roots and all??? They are in 2'' cells and I want to move them, what would you all recommend is the best approach??? Thanx again, Danny

Dan, the best way if you plan to replant is to disturb the roots as little as possible when you transplant. I usually use a teaspoon and dig them out along with some of the growing medium, digging down as deep as possible. Water well after they're in their new home.

If they're going outside, I just slip them out of the containers, growing medium and all, and plant them. Set them as deep as possible, leaving only a few leaves of the top of the plant above ground. This will develop a strong root system.

Don't worry, tomato plants are very easy to transplant and you'll seldom lose any.

I take the stem end of a teaspoon and slide it down the side of the cell. Your rootball should pop right out.

Red is right, tomatoes are very forgiving and will benefit from a little root shock. That doesn't mean to handle them roughly, but they aren't fragile by any means.

I sow seeds in germination trays that just have trenches to put the mix in. I take an old table fork and just lift up a clump of seedlings and break them apart if they've grown too close.

A spoon, eh? Well, I traditionally use a dull pencil (#2 lead) as a dibble for the first potting up of the tiniest seedlings.

Since I got my 20-row seedling trays a year ago, I found my forefinger works great to get each row scooped out, then I pry the seedlings apart. Giving the plants a good soaking the day before I plan to pot them up helps - evenly moist soil helps ease those roots apart. Depending on the weather and when I started them, my 'maters can go through at least two and maybe three or four "potting ups" into successively larger cells and containers. I've also been using a very diluted liquid fertilizer geared toward root growth and minimizing transplant shock. The plants have responded very well - very stocky plants and lots of good root growth.

Right now the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are in the "jumbo" size cell packs. In a couple more weeks, they'll go directly in the garden. I'll hold about half of each variety back (in larger pots) as insurance against our notoriously fickle spring weather.

The pencil used as a dibble is something that I do too...but when I had the cell trays that had to be repotted,the flat handle end of the spoon slid between the rootball and the cell gave me a flatter tool for popping the whole thing loose.

I'm hoping for a nice dry Spring, instead of the monsoons that plagued us for the past couple of years. I have some raised rows warming right now, and hopefully, they will keep those roots out of the water if the rains do come. I am so tiered of flooding..and I'm on high ground!

Mel, I'm with you on the spring weather (I hear tell that rain's predicted for the rest of this week - sigh...) Your monsoons are our monsoons.

Dan, I forgot to mention the adage to grab a plant by its ears (leaves) rather than its neck (stem) - if you rip a leaf, no big deal. If you crush the stem, well....it's likely to be fatal or at least serious injury to the plant's vascular system. I'm blessed with small, nimble fingers (it's the payoff for being vertically challenged ;o) so I feel pretty confident grabbing many plants by their stems. But for the first potting up and/or the more fragile plants, I do grab 'em by a leaf instead.

Red, Terry, and Melody, thanx soooo much. All the info is so appreciated as well as absorbed. To put the whole cell outside or into a larger container seems palatable, but how about if I have 2 or 3 plants about 3"-4'' in each 2" cell and I want to seperate 1 or 2 of them to put them into their own larger cells or containers? And how long, or rather to what size can I leave 1 tomato plant per 2" cell, until it gets how big, or number of leaves? I'm asking a lot of questions, I just want to do it right and at the same time I want to get better at my craft- LOL, scary thought since I have 2 left feet and hands for that matter. Keep the thread going, conversation is healthy, and it gets your mind off the monsoons, and into a Warm Spring Day.

I would divide them now - you may have to "wrench" the roots apart, but as long as you have their new containers ready to go, give them a good watering afterward, and keep them out of direct sunlight for a day, they should be fine. Remember to plant them as deep as you can in their new containers - it will encourage good root development and a stockier seedling to set out in a few weeks.

Dan, with 3"-4" plants I would run a sharp knife down between the two plants about a day before I transplant one of them, less shock to the plant(s).

In your zone, if you have one plant per 2" pot, they should be fine until it's time to set them outdoors. As I've said, I leave mine in individual pots, 10 oz. coffee cups, for 6 - 8 weeks and transplant for the first time directly outdoors.