> Next: Selecting Vegetables
Thinning Vegetable Plants
On this page find how important it is to use thinning methods to open space between plants in scattered and other seed plantings and how to thin, including:
-
- When to thin vegetable plants to increase spacing between plants and rows.
- Finding proper spacing requirements for individual species of vegetable plants.
- Thinning vegetable seedlings by hand.
- Thinning vegetable seedlings using the clipping method.
- Thinning methods used for interplanting two or more plantings of the same vegetable.
- A step-by-step demonstration of thinning.
About Thinning Vegetables
Wait to thin vegetable sprouts until plants develop two or more true leaves, easily recognized by referring to the diagrams commonly found here in the planting information provided about each vegetable species [see Vegetables], or on their seed packages and plant tags.
When seed sprout, they usually will have two so-called seed leaves that can resemble weeds or other plants. Leaves that develop later are miniatures that resemble the mature leaves of the vegetable species.
Thin by hand shallow-rooted plants such as carrots and radishes. For larger plants such as corn and squash, use a pair of scissors or small bypass pruning shears to shear off their stems at the soil line.
Whichever method you use, consult the seed package to determine the optimum spacing for the species.
Thinning ensures that your plants will avoid crowding. It also prevents them from having to compete for moisture or nutrients and allows them to form deep root systems that helps protect them from brief periods of drought.
With tall species—such as corn or sunflowers— thinning prevents shading of nearby vegetables and allows air to circulate between the plants. This hastens drying of overnight dew and avoids infections by fungal diseases.
To interleave succession plantings, plant and thin to twice the specified distance for the species, then plant the intervals again 3–4 weeks after the first planting. The result will be an extended harvest.
Step-By-Step Instructions
You’ll need little more than your fingers to thin most young vegetable plants while they’re young and shallow-rooted plants. Follow these simple instructions:
How To Thin Vegetable Sprouts
Remove younger plants from the row by pinching them off to kill the excess plants without removing their roots.
Use your fingers to protect neighboring sprouts and carefully pull out shoots until the space between the remaining plants is the same as recommended for the vegetable species.
When thinning is complete, the space between the plants left will be the same as recommended for the vegetable species [see Vegetables].
Thinning by Clipping Stems
Large, starchy seeds of beans, peas, squash, pumpkins and other vegetables frequently are planted 2–3 seeds to a planting spot.
They grow quickly, and their close spacing of multiple seedlings makes clipping stems of unwanted plants an easier thinning method.