Do you guys feel guilty when you plant to many seeds....

14 years ago

expecting only a few to germinate and all of a sudden all of them germinated and you have to pick only those you want to replant while the others are discarded?

I was trying to germinate some papaya seeds. I figure I plant at least a dozen of them just expecting about 4-5 to germinate. But this crazy heat in CA all of a sudden just seem flip a switch somehow and all of the seeds that I planted germinated. Now, I have to choose only a few that I want to plant and to nurture them but I feel bad and guilty for the others since I don't have any room for the rest and will probably have to discard them.

Comments (14)

maps31
14 years ago
I dont feel guilty, surprised, definatley. is there a way you could put one in a pot when it has its true leaves set? when its a bit hardened off (I am I saying that right?) and put it on the porch, give it to a neighbor ?
littleum
14 years ago
I just give mine away! I put the seedlings in 16oz styrofoam cups, harden them off, wait until they have a few real leaves and give them away. My neighbors and friends are always thrilled to get a box of random plants.
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marlingardener
14 years ago
I consider a high germination rate to be the result of my superior gardening skills (ha!). Any extras go to friends. I planted Sun Gold tomatoes this past winter, got 110% germination, and gave the extras away. This part of Texas is now known as the Sun Gold tomato belt!
People are thrilled to get a plant grown by a neighbor or friend, and often a plant they can't find commercially. Give 'em away and make friends and expand the biodiversity!
heather38
14 years ago
Give them away, its amazing how many people are scared to grow from seed, or don't feel they have the time/space to do it, and buying plants is a very expensive option. I would love to receive something unusual, I have friend who phoned me, recently as all her tomato plants had a fungus and heard of the late blight problem, she told me she had spent nearly $150 on tomato plants!! EEK! the first lot died and the second had a fungus (not late blight). I told her if I had known, I would have planted extras for her,, and that next year I will plant extra for her, she is ecstatic.
Funny thing as she is in a very senior position, partner in good job and has no kids, and could I imagine, spend this kind of money+ on whims, but the very offer of this has made her, I don't know? feel cared about? thought about? and for us 2 kids, 1 income means, I can give her something she wants, to thank her for her friendship without breaking the bank.
Not that I would break the bank, but its nice to know a small thing can make someone happy.
hmacdona1
14 years ago
I always start way too many as more often than I wish, I need to plant backups. I give away extras to friends and neighbours and then if I still have some left over, I offer them up on freecycle. This year, I think was able to give away 30 small tomato plants on freecycle and was happy that they did not get wasted.
johnmac09
14 years ago
Hi jollygreenpimp... I can never the waste of excess seedlings and find myself watering them for weeks and weeks. I'd give them away if it weren't for the fact that everyone else around probably has the same problem. Even now, as we fast head towards autumn, I'm still watering plants that, if I'd have planted them out properly, should have flowered in spring!

Here is a link that might be useful: An English Allotment Garden
jessicavanderhoff
14 years ago
I feel guilty, because it always goes the same way. I have a bunch of plants, they end up squished together under the lights, their branches get all tangled together and rip off, and the plants don't get an optimal amount of light. Later in the season, I get overwhelmed about watering all those plants, and they don't produce as well as they would have if I watered. Then I tell myself "why did you do this again?? You would be much happier if you had a few healthy plants!". I know that too many germinating is the beginning of a vicious cycle, so yes, I feel guilty in advance when too many sprout!
grandad_2003
14 years ago
IMO, having too many plants is a far lesser issue than having not enough. So, I always overseed. Most of the extra plants generally can find a home. However, sometimes a few do wind up as compost.
deep___roots
14 years ago
If you were to care for all the extras, I suspect that in a few months you would resent having to do all that work.
I know that when I grow on seedlings for someone else, I am usually very anxious for them to reach a size where I can give them to the person I'm doing it for.
So, no I certainly wouldn't feel guilty.
Mother Nature provides lots of seeds, an overabundance actually. She's got the system all figured out. Make it work for you. Keep nothing but the best and later for the rest.
DrHorticulture_
14 years ago
Absolutely! I usually transplant them to small pots that I would have never used anyway, and if I get one tomato per plant, that's still better than throwing them away. But I don't think that would work for papayas...hehe.
ditnc
14 years ago
Yes, definitely. You're not alone in having those guilty feelings...
justaguy2
14 years ago
I used to have guilty feelings. It was like I was killing a living thing I loved. Perhaps I have become jaded over the years, but I no longer feel that way.

I grow more than I need because I never know how well something will do.

Then I plant what I need selecting from the best and then I start giving stuff away while holding some back as replacements if something happens to my first string.

Anything left after that becomes compost.
keepitlow
14 years ago
Yes, sometimes feel guilty, but getting better at it. I try to keep the waste to a min. But then my seeds I've hoarded may get too old to use anyway.
makete
14 years ago
I always feel guilty thinning things. I also feel that I am killing something that may produce for me so now most things are crowded. LOL.

Do you guys feel guilty when you plant to many seeds....

Comments (14)

maps31

littleum

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