One of the hardest things for me to do as a gardener is thin out my plants. I know it needs to be done. I know the plants will be healthier. I know they will produce better.
And yet...There is something about pulling out perfectly good little seedlings that makes me hesitate.
Now, I know there are some of you who hear the words “thinning out” and think we're talking about the last stage of prepping for a bodybuilding competition. That's leaning out. Not to be confused with thinning out. Thinning out is a garden task—and one that requires a little tough love.
What Exactly Is Thinning Out?
Thinning out is the process of removing some of the seedlings you've planted because, quite frankly, you were blessed with too many seeds germinating. And that's a good thing!Germination is exciting. You plant those tiny seeds, keep them watered, wait patiently, and then suddenly...
There they are! and it is exciting! There is a nice sense of accomplishment that they held up their end of the bargain when you planted and watered them.
Little green seedlings everywhere. It's tempting to think, “Look how successful I am! Everything germinated!” But more is not always better in the garden. Plants need space to grow into maturity. If you leave too many seedlings growing in the same small space, they will compete for water, nutrients, light and room to develop. And so, sometimes, some of those little seedlings are just going to have to go.
More Is Not Better
Take radishes, for example.If radish seedlings are too close together, they may remain spindly and fail to develop the nice, round root we're hoping for. Let's be honest—the root is the best part! Many vegetables simply won't reach their full potential when they're growing shoulder-to-shoulder with their neighbors. They need room to develop their roots and leaves and to access the resources they need to grow.
I sometimes imagine the seedlings having a little conversation:
"Do you have enough room?"
"Not really."
"Me neither."
"Well, I guess we'll just stay small."
They don't want to give up. They don't necessarily die. But they don't thrive either. As gardeners, we're trying to grow plants that thrive, not simply survive.
Thinning Happens in Stages
When I thin out my seedlings, it usually happens in stages. The first thinning happens after those first embryonic leaves, called cotyledons, show up. At this stage, I look for seedlings that are growing too close together and remove some of them. Then, after the second set of leaves develops, I go through them again. By this point, the seedlings are becoming easier to identify, and I have a better idea of which plants look healthy and strong. And then, finally, when I feel confident that the plants I've left are going to survive, I go through them one more time. It may sound like a lot of thinning, but I think of it as giving my best plants the space they need to succeed. Sometimes it's easier to remove a tiny seedling than to look at a mature plant later and realize it never had enough room to grow.
The Best Part of Thinning? You Can Eat It!
It's not all hardship. In fact, thinning out leafy vegetables comes with a pretty great bonus: You get a snack. Those tiny greens you're removing can be tender, nutritious and delicious. The flavor of baby greens can be more intense than you might expect, and they are a wonderful little garden-to-table treat. Depending on the plant, you can eat the young greens from crops such as:
- Radishes
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Beets
- Carrots
So instead of thinking, “I'm throwing away all these plants!” Think: “I'm harvesting microgreens for lunch.”Suddenly thinning doesn't seem quite so painful.
How Much Space Does a Plant Need?
When you're thinning seedlings, think ahead to the size of the mature plant. Your seed packet is often a great resource for this. It should give you information about the recommended spacing for that particular variety. For example, if you want a radish that grows to about one inch in diameter, you need to give that radish enough room to develop. If the mature plant needs two inches of space, that's the space you should be working toward as you thin. The goal isn't to make your garden look empty. The goal is to give each plant enough real estate to become the plant you intended to grow.
Use Scissors, Not Your Fingers
Here's one of my favorite thinning tips: Use a pair of scissors. It can be tempting to grab the extra seedling and pull it right out of the soil. When you pull a seedling, you're also disturbing the soil around it—and potentially disturbing the tiny roots of the plant you want to keep. Those little roots are already working hard to establish themselves. Why make their job harder?Instead, use a small pair of scissors to snip the unwanted seedling off at the soil line.
Thinning Takes a Little Tough Love
I think thinning is one of those gardening lessons that goes beyond gardening. Sometimes you have to make a difficult choice to give something room to grow. We plant seeds hoping that every single one will germinate. Then, when they do, we're faced with the realization that we actually don't have room for all of them.
It's hard! But the goal isn't to grow the most plants. The goal is to grow healthy plants. A crowded garden may look wonderfully abundant at first, but giving plants the space they need allows them to develop strong roots, healthy foliage and, ultimately, a better harvest.
So the next time you look at your row of tiny seedlings and think, “I just can't pull any of them out,” remember:
You're not being mean.
You're being a gardener.
And those baby greens might make a pretty good salad.
Take the Guesswork Out of Thinning:
Not sure when to thin your seedlings or how much space to give them?
My 2027 Kitchen Garden Calendar includes diagrams showing you exactly how thinning works, along with guidance on when to thin your seedlings and what to do.
It takes some of the guesswork out of growing your kitchen garden and gives you a step-by-step guide to help you know what to do and when to do it.
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A GardenWise Thought
Sometimes the best thing we can do for a garden is give it a little more room to grow. Less may look like less—but in the garden, less can mean healthier plants, bigger harvests and more room for everything to thrive.
