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How do I thin out my lettuce seedlings?
When should you thin out lettuce seedlings?
Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, you’ll need to ‘thin’ them, reducing crowding in the row. Thinning your plants gives them space to grow to larger leaves and dense hearts.
How big should seedlings be before thinning?
Seedlings should have at least two pairs of true leaves and be about 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm.) tall before thinning. Evening hours are a good time to thin seedlings as the cooler temps and darker conditions make it easier for the remaining seedlings to bounce back from any stress they may have received.
How do I thin out my lettuce?
How do you thin seedlings without killing them?
Wiggle the knife as you oh so gently tug on the seedling to help loosen it. It will pull free and have a beautiful little root. Sometimes you will get more than one to come out, just gently untangle the roots from each other. If you are careful it won’t do any harm to either seedling.
What happens if you don’t Thin seedlings?
Thinning seedlings helps them develop and grow stronger and faster. Seedlings not thinned have small stems and a leggy appearance. When seedlings grow in a tight cluster (crowded plants) they fight for light and grow spindly.
What happens if you don’t thin lettuce?
Thinning Lettuce Sprouts Leaf lettuce that is packed in too tightly without adequate air circulation can often taste bitter because each individual plant is competing for resources; it can also go to seed early (a process called bolting) which ruins the taste.
Should you thin lettuce plants?
Regardless of the types of lettuce you grow, thinning lettuce seedlings is a task that must be done again and again. In comparison, thinning lettuce every few days so that the plants enjoy steady, exuberant growth will give you bigger plants that hold in the garden until hot weather comes along to spoil to party.
Can I replant thinned seedlings?
When the seedlings have developed their second set of true leaves, it’s time to transplant or thin them. If you don’t need many plants, you can thin them in place: just pinch or snip off the excess seedlings, leaving the remaining ones spaced about 2 inches apart. Water the transplant right away.
Do you water seedlings everyday?
Seedlings aren’t able to store water for very long, so they need soil that is constantly moist. This means watering them a few times a day, depending on how quickly they dry out. Test your seedling’s soil with the end of a finger to about an inch deep. If the soil is dry, your seedling needs water.
Should I thin my seedlings?
As painful as it may be, it is best to thin your seedlings down to the one healthiest sprout per cell space or container after the first couple sets of true leaves appear. Thinning is a very important step in the seed-starting process to result in the most healthy, successful plants possible!Feb 12, 2019.
Should lettuce be started indoors?
Lettuce is so easy to grow it can be started indoors for early transplants or sown directly in the garden. In fact, doing both is recommended to get maximum production. Start some lettuce seeds indoors in peat pots a few weeks before the last frost date in your area.
How big do lettuce seedlings need to be?
Romaine and butterhead lettuce seedlings require 6 to 8 inches between each plant. Removed seedlings can be transplanted or eaten as delicious, tender microgreens. Head lettuce is usually grown from seeds started indoors during warm weather for a fall garden.
Can you plant lettuce close together?
Generally, you should space plants far enough apart so that they can grow to full size. However, many gardeners plant lettuce much closer together, preferring to harvest leaves continuously before they reach full size. The plants adapt to their spacing.
How do you transplant lettuce seedlings to bigger pots?
Gently dig the seedlings up from their original container using a popsicle stick, pencil or other improvised tool. Handle the seedlings only by their leaves, never by their stems. Plant them into their new containers deeper than they were growing, gently firming the growing media around their roots.
When should you pinch plants?
Here’s how to pinch (or tip) properly: Once your young plant has formed a few pairs of leaves on a stem, it is ready to be pinched. Plants grow buds at the base of each leaf, just above the point where the leaf connects to the stem.
What does a Dibber do?
A dibber is a long, stick-like tool used to make holes for seeds and seedlings to make sure they’re sufficiently buried in the soil without damage. The width of a dibber will vary and thinner dibbers are best suited to sowing seeds and cuttings, while planting small bulbs requires a thicker tool.
What happens if you don’t thin lettuce seedlings?
Leaf lettuce varieties that are too crowded may end up with a bitter flavor. So thinning out your plants will give them the best taste.
