Hello from the Garden (1 of 3)

Thinning

When you sow directly into the soil, seedlings can become overcrowded. This is not a problem with large seeds like peas and beans which are easy to space but can be more difficult when you sow small seeds like carrots. These are some dwarf carrots that some of you sowed for the incredible edibles. The trick is to thin them out when they’re small and manageable. So:

Pull back the leaves so you can see the stems.
And then grasping the seedling near the bottom of the stem, pull firmly so it comes away cleanly.
You’re aiming to leave a little gap between each seedling so they have room to grow. Then firm the soil around the seedlings that remain, in case they’ve been dislodged during the thinning process.
Water well. The seedlings may look a bit sad at this stage, but after a couple of days, with all that extra space, they’ll be flying.


A couple of things to remember.

Dont be tempted to pull out loads of seedlings at a time, leaving big gaps, as there may be natural losses due to pests and diseases. It’s better to thin in stages every couple of weeks or so. A little and often is the key.

Most thinnings can be transplanted elsewhere, Carrots and radishes are not so keen, so they can be composted.