I don't know what you should do but I thinned yesterday.

Each variety had 3 seeds sown in 4 peat pellets. I'll want 2 of each variety leaving plenty for back ups and give aways.

Those varieties that enjoyed full or nearly full germination were thinned down to 2 plants/cell.

Most of my babies are 1 - 1.5" tall and am now seeing the tiny growing tips peaking out on about half. Just gently plucked em out. Most had root balls about the size of an eraser on a new pencil ... 1.4" (+-)

If they were closer than that, I'd be inclined to snip them.

C'mon Buck, be ruthless :-)

oooh kill my little sprouts? yeah, gotta do it.

So, why do you leave two going per pot? do you thin again down to 1 at a later date? or try to grow two?

Correction, 1.4" (+-) should read 1/4" (+-) ... I need more coffee :-)

~~~ So, why do you leave two going per pot? do you thin again down to 1 at a later date? or try to grow two? ~~~

I'll likely pot up as singles whats left when lrg. enough and give the rest away. Since I only need two, there will be plenty of most varieties to go around.

I have about a dozen folks that are going to take some. Until its a space or work issue, its not really an issue. If it becomes an issue, the compost pile is just right over there :-)

Hi-
I don't thin because I always only plant one seed per pellet. I had 99% germination (one seedling just grew to an inch and no leaves yet, it's like a little stump). I hate thinning, so I figure if any dont' germinate, I'll simply pull out the defunct seed and replant a fresh one in the same pellet.

I don't thin. If I have multiple seedlings per cell I move the extras to new cells. I have a cocktail fork that works nicely. Be sure to do this early, before the roots get intertwined.

I had a really bad day and took it out on my tomato seedlings. I know, it sound harsh, but looking at my now incredibly healthy, dark green and purple plants I can see that it was the right thing to do.

I never saw the point of thinning, but I usually sow into 16 ounce plastic drink cups with holes punched in the bottom (That's so I can just write the seedling's name on the cup. No lost tags!)and at most I plant two seeds to a cup.

If you use fresh seed and a seed germinating mat (Or heating pad on low) the germination is fairly quick so you can resow any bad seeds. If more germinate, they transplant readily even if they're in the seed leaf stage still. Since I only sow two if I get a few extra they are easily given away or tucked in the garden. Or if it's a mediocre year by the time they get to final transplant they've sort of naturally even out in numbers.

amalthea, thank you... actually, the sowing method you describe is precisely what I did, and marking right on the cup worked out great for me.

Though, I winter sowed my maters, and I didn't heed the warning on Trudi's website regarding a surprisingly high rate of germination... really could've saved some seed!

So I sowed w/ a heavy hand, especially one or two that were marked "low germination" and now I've got an average of 3 and upwards of 6 or 7 coming in per cup.

the nice thing is, that in my blunders (allowing some to have actually frozen, and allowing some to have actually fried) just when I think the cup is dead, another little one is hot on its heels coming up.... this has been a really neat experience.

so yeah, i'm going to try to repot and keep as many as I can alive, as I never know how many are going to actually survive my ignorance and make it to the garden : )

I'm debating what to do with the ones that are really growing closely though, like in the same hole.... I might just wait another week or two and then snip the weaker looking one rather than destroy two by trying to separate them.

thank you!

i have been known to plant 10 to 20 tomato seeds in a very clean margarine tub(holes added to the bottom) loaded with comercial "starting mix" cover it with clearwrap or plastic and slip it on the top of the fridge or hotwater tank for a few days, at first sign of life i remove the plastic cover and grow them on the window sill. When they have their first set of true leaves, i seem to have great success transplanting. they are pretty durable to transplant, maybe you can grow a few extras to trade or donate. This year i have also tried some tomato seeds in an unheated greenhouse, the only ones up after 3 weeks are the seeds i saved from a heritage tomato called Rainbow a close cousin i think to Brandywine.

I have been planting them in the ground, sometimes with three live plants in the original cup, not separating them. Am I creating extra problems for myself this way? They seem to function okay.

I've successfully separated doubled seedlings (from two seeds stuck together) even before the first true leaves developed. One year the mix was soaking wet/muddy and a slight tug pulled one plant-roots free (did this with several dozen plants). In cases when the plant did not slide out I just took the soil out, teased the plants apart and replanted. Transplant success is high as long as the mix is damp and the humidity is high so that the plants can regrow root hairs before they dry out. If you have space between plants in a you can slide a butter knife into the soil and pry up the plant with a bit of soil on the roots and just drop that into a new pot.

Doof,

With three plants per hole in the garden you have a couple of problems

1) Root competition for limited nutrients and water = stunted plants.

2) Leaf competition for limited light = less fruit.

Sometimes one plant will out compete the others and will not be so stunted (but not as good as it could be, other times all of them will suffer equally.

This problem is the same (but far worse) as planting too close (2 ft apart instead of 3-4ft for large varieties). The plants do fine until they reach a certain size. Some people plant close together anticipating animal or cutworm damage and then thin the large plants later, but it takes a hard heart to tear out a perfectly good plant mid season.