Why and how should you thin out your seedlings (carrots, spinach, turnips, etc.)?

Thinning, an essential step

Seeding is an essential stage in getting your vegetable garden off the ground. Whether for a conventional garden or for permaculture, most plants that tolerate transplanting are first sown in terrines, trays or directly in the ground for the others. The important thing is to provide them with optimum conditions: light, heat and water. Seed packets are often well-stocked and gardeners can be heavy-handed. Sometimes, it's not even the gardeners who are at fault, but the ants who like to steal the seeds and pile them up. The result is sparse seedbeds on one side and overcrowded ones on the other.

The problem is that there's nothing positive about sowing too densely. The seeds stick together, the plants mix and the work of thinning out becomes a real headache. However, it is essential, because lack of space means that the seedlings cannot develop properly. We've all had to deal with radishes or carrots that were deformed because they were growing too close together. In the same way, foliage and flowers will have a hell of a time developing because the presence of too many plants doesn't allow the nutrients to feed each plant properly.

How to thin correctly

If you're sowing in pots, for tomatoes, squash, cucumbers or peppers, for example, you shouldn't have a problem with thinning. As the seeds are quite large, you can easily manage the number of seeds per pot. What's more, these plants are very easy to transplant as soon as they have their first true leaves. But if you're sowing lettuces, radishes, carrots, beetroot, turnips or aromatic plants, you'll need to thin them out. Depending on the weather conditions, this should be done between three weeks and a month after sowing. You'll need to remove any overgrown seedlings to make room for new ones. Depending on the plant, keep a single one every 5 to 10 cm per row, for example.

To do this, start by watering your seedlings generously, which will make the operation easier. Locate the weakest plants, those that are not growing straight, and grasp them by their base before pulling them out in one clean movement. Leave some space between the remaining plants, water lightly and, if necessary, repeat the operation three weeks later. Ideally, thin out your seedlings in waves, leaving more plants the first time than you want to plant. This way, you can later determine which are the hardiest and most vigorous plants to transplant and remove the weakest.

Sow better to thin less

If thinning is a real chore for you, which it can be, especially when growing large rows of carrots or radishes, you can use tools such as the hand seeder, which allows you to control the seeds.

Another useful tip is to mix the seeds with fine sand to obtain a less dense sowing. This technique is particularly useful for very fine seeds such as fennel, basil or even chives.

Consuming sprouted seeds

If you feel like you're taking part in an odious genocide of seedlings, as I did, I can't advise you enough that you include them in your diet. Sprouted seeds are very popular in the diet, particularly for the micro-nutrients they contain in large quantities. They contain lots of vitamins A, D and E, as well as magnesium, sodium and phosphorus. They are therefore very good for your health. What's more, eating them helps prevent various cardiovascular diseases, lowers cholesterol levels and stimulates tissue and cell regeneration. In short, they've got it all!

But don't just eat any sprouted seed! Seeds from plants whose leaves are not eaten are not edible. This is the case for tomato, aubergine, squash, pepper, rhubarb and other seeds. On the other hand, you can enjoy your beetroot, radish, basil, carrot or fennel seedlings! Just the thing to spice up a raw vegetable salad!