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Questions tagged [thinning]

Promoting the growth of seedlings by removing extraneous seedlings.

When planting seeds, they are typically planted very close together when compared to their ideal adult plant spacing. This is because many will not grow, some seeds are very fine (like dust), and the space required would be prohibitive.

After the seeds germinate, seedlings will often be too close together. This restricts the growth of the seedlings as they compete for resources. The process of thinning is the removal of these seedlings so that the surviving seedlings have more space and can grow unheeded. Thinned seedlings are discarded.

Although thinning is usually performed to seedlings, it can be performed with more 'adolescent' plants. By this point, plants can often be safely moved - increasing space for all the plants.

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Does fruit on fruit trees need to be thinned?

Do fruits need to be thinned on the tree? For example, I have a young Pomelo tree that's producing fruit for the first time. In order to get bigger, nicer fruit, should I be thinning the fruit? How is it done? Here's a good example cluster from my…
Jonathan
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Should I separate and transplant basil seedlings?

I have begun to grow basil for the first time. Basically all I did was open a packet of seeds and throw them into a flower pot that’s about 20cm wide/round. The seeds have germinated and have started to grow into about 1cm high little stems. So now…
Allison
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What's the best way to thin delicate seedlings?

When thinning seedlings (salads, beetroots, spinach etc) I will normally pull out the entire plant (root included) of the discarded seedlings. Like it's a weed. Where my seedlings are densely packed this is nearly impossible to do without…
Tea Drinker
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Can I thin grapes/vines in July?

I have bought a garden in Austria (Central Europe) which has some grape vines (I don't know the exact kind). The previous owner told me they harvested 20 kilograms of grapes last summer. Currently (early July) the vines are bearing a good handful of…
Torben Gundtofte-Bruun
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Fruit thinning - is that really required?

I have some multi-varietal fruit trees (primarily apples and pears) that are starting to fruit in bunches of 3-4 per cluster. I am debating whether I should thin these clusters to 1-2 fruits (breaks my heart to lose 2 fruits per cluster) or let…
JStorage
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Do these sunflower seedlings need to be thinned?

I have two questions regarding the sunflower seedlings in the picture below. I think my sunflowers are too close together. How much should I thin them and based on their height, does now seem like a good time or should I wait? Some of them have…
amol
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How much space do watermelon plants need? What do I need to know to transplant seedlings?

I have a row of watermelon seedlings, each separated by 2 inches, except that in several places two seedlings are growing together about half an inch apart (where I had sown two seeds in the same space). The plants are 3 inches tall. How much space…
Edward Brey
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How to safely distribute closely growing chili pepper seedlings around a bigger pot?

I have a pot of very closely growing chili pepper seedlings and I'd like to distribute them around a bigger pot, but I don't think their roots will allow easy separation. Is there some way I could separate them from each other without sacrificing…
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I've planted too many potatoes in 1 container

I'm a very novice gardener. In one potato sack I planted about 10 seed potatoes which I have since learnt is far too many. Is my potato harvest doomed? Can I remove some of the plants?
natalie
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Is it time to thin these cilantro seedlings?

I planted 2 cilantro seeds in the same bed a few weeks ago... now I've got 3 distinct seedlings coming up in close proximity. I want to grow the cilantro for culinary use and planted multiple seeds assuming I'd eventually have to thin them. Is now…
Becky
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Should I prune these branches on my young grapevine?

I am a total beginner at gardening, and am having a go at trying to grow a grapevine for fun :) I am looking for some advice before I prune it, because I don't want to do something damaging. The grapevine is a "boskoop glory" variety, and I planted…
teeeeee
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How should I thin out my herbs?

I planted some herbs (lavender, basil, cilantro) mid October, almost 6 weeks ago. I started them from seed in an egg carton, transferring them to their current planter box about 2 weeks later. The cilantro plants need immediate attention for obvious…
Theresa Kolkebeck
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What should I do with this thinning cedar hedge?

Thanks for your thoughts on this; We have a line of cedars at our fence, probably 12 feet tall. The fence is is not solid so the trees provide some critical privacy. The problem is, they get almost no sun on one side, shaded by our outdoor kitchen.…
user1964234
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