But the hard truth is, you have to thin your seedlings. I have read and heard many times, though, that the seedlings' roots are damaged in the process, but I can't bring myself to kill the healthy little seedlings that I've nurtured. If you are growing plants from seeds, thinning them out is absolutely necessary. And, of course, lots of tomatoes! Too little light. One thing I had to do this weekend was thin my seedlings. This makes it easier to transplant them outside later. Third, seedlings that are falling over can be more prone to disease and pests. Well I can say from lots of experience, that done carefully, it does not harm the tomato seedlings to separate them. This is a sign of a strong plant that can withstand the weight of a heavier fruit and that you have successfully saved your leggy, spindly, tomato plant seedlings. There are a couple of ways to thin out your seedlings once they get too crowded. Tomato seedlings are one of the first you need to get started in the season. If many seeds have germinated in a single pot, you’ll need to thin them out. When left un-thinned, seedlings that are in tight quarters will compete with one another for nutrients, water, air, and root space. Planting too early in the season. Consider why the seedlings are stretched up and what to do … This is a perfect time for me to thin out the seedlings. Depending on the variety, they can be 2-4 inches tall at this stage. I do grow tomatoes from seed every year. The reasons why your tomato seedlings got so thin and leggy. All those little sprouts compete for nutrients, water, and light. Store bought plants may have been mislabeled, treated with chemicals, or stressed and this can really affect the results you get at … Waiting too long to transplant seedlings can lead to yellowing of the leaves and roots that grow around the edges of the container and even out the holes. Healthy, happy seedlings do better at transplanting and yield a better crop. I have had decent results after starting tomato and pepper seeds indoors on a window sill without purpose-specific lights. While it’s a painful process for most, know that tomatoes will always do better when they don’t have to compete with another plant for nutrients. Letting your tomato seedlings become leggy can be frustrating but Janette shows you how to solve the problem. Sander1. Transplant tomato seedlings into their own 4-inch pots shortly after they get their first set of true leaves. So thin out any seedlings that have started to grow tall and leggy. In addition to concerns about competition, crowding seedlings also increases the risk for disease.This is primarily due to the reduced airflow between the plants. Crowded conditions inhibit their growth, which stresses them and leads to disease later on. First, seedlings that are too tall will have problems when they are moved outdoors. For example, if my plants need to be 12 inches apart, the first time I’ll thin every 6 inches. Transplanting Your Tomato Seedlings: I usually like to start my seeds in a big pot and start a lot of seeds in the pot and divide later, it makes for competition between the starts and it is easy to see the strongest ones that will later produce better. Because they are thin and floppy, they can’t stand up as well to natural occurrences like wind and hard rain. It’s important to thin your seedlings to allow for the best plant to have room to grow without competing with roots of another seedling. I always have thinned my seedlings by "pricking out," much like you do, although I never heard the term before. Without the proper amount of spacing between plants, your seedlings will never reach full maturity. Do I have to thin out my seedlings? If your newly germinated seedlings look like this, it may be due to one of three common causes: Insufficient Light. Control the earliest moments of your seedlings of tomatoes do not produce fruitful bushes, the time... 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