Cut or pull seedlings?
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
When sowing seeds into cells, roottrainers etc, I always pull any surplus seedlings, leaving just one standing. Unfortunately, the pulling sometimes disturbs the roots of the seedling I want to keep. I recently read advice which said to cut the surplus seedlings off at soil level. But surely that would mean the remaining roots would rot in the soil which doesn't sound too healthy to me! Any thoughts?
I find this is a problem. It does help a lot though if you thin the seedlings soon after they emerge when they only have their first pair of leaves. They pull out easily as they only have a simple root.
I'm not sure about pinching out unwanted seedlings.
John
I'm not sure about pinching out unwanted seedlings.
John
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
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What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
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Westi
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Would the roots be so fine as to not cause any problem - they are hair like and would just disintergrate as wouldn't be too many cells to contaminate the soil - wouldn't they?? 
Westi
Westi
Westi
Hi Monika,
Take your pick you have mentioned the two favoured methods.
The thing is that if you are going to pull then you need to do it when they are very young so with a gardener who only grows a few hold two fingers pressed to the soil either side of the plant you wish to remain and then pull the other out gently.
Commercially this would take too long and a pair of scissors are employed.
Generally commercial seeds are sown as singles per module but many mistakes occur especially with brassicas so the cut method is used.
JB.
Take your pick you have mentioned the two favoured methods.
The thing is that if you are going to pull then you need to do it when they are very young so with a gardener who only grows a few hold two fingers pressed to the soil either side of the plant you wish to remain and then pull the other out gently.
Commercially this would take too long and a pair of scissors are employed.
Generally commercial seeds are sown as singles per module but many mistakes occur especially with brassicas so the cut method is used.
JB.
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Kleftiwallah
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If you find a piece of ply-wood the same size as your seed trays, hammer in some of those round headed furniture nails, tap this down onto your soil, remove and then you will have indentations into which to drop seeds. Maximum separation - minimum disturbance, Cheers, Tony,
Hi Tony,
A good enough idea I agree but can you trust your fingers enough not to drop more than one seed into the hole which, basically, is really what this thread revolves around.
Commercially I used an Aluminium sowing plate for 216 seeds and holes drilled to really only allow one seed into the hole and you sow the seed with a brush and brush the seed into the hole and brush the excess into a large gathering pan like a large dustpan. The thickness of the aluminium should only allow one seed but it is far from foolproof. When you remove the sheet you then push the seed to the required depth with a wigger. Then bang the tray on the bench and the compost settles around the seed, done! Then pass on for the watering process.
The whole operation used to take about 6 minutes per tray.
After a week of that you are bored whitless.
JB.
A good enough idea I agree but can you trust your fingers enough not to drop more than one seed into the hole which, basically, is really what this thread revolves around.
Commercially I used an Aluminium sowing plate for 216 seeds and holes drilled to really only allow one seed into the hole and you sow the seed with a brush and brush the seed into the hole and brush the excess into a large gathering pan like a large dustpan. The thickness of the aluminium should only allow one seed but it is far from foolproof. When you remove the sheet you then push the seed to the required depth with a wigger. Then bang the tray on the bench and the compost settles around the seed, done! Then pass on for the watering process.
The whole operation used to take about 6 minutes per tray.
After a week of that you are bored whitless.
JB.
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Fair Weather 33
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Afternoon Monika
I have had this problem in the past as well. Really annoying
I Unfortunatly should be more carefull in planting my seeds as they usually pop up too close together. But I have found an old fork with wide tines not round ones can be pressed down with the seedling you wish to keep in the middle helps.
I have had this problem in the past as well. Really annoying
I Unfortunatly should be more carefull in planting my seeds as they usually pop up too close together. But I have found an old fork with wide tines not round ones can be pressed down with the seedling you wish to keep in the middle helps.-
Primrose
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Monika - I too find this a problem, especially when sowing tiny seeds into cells as it's simply impossible to just to pick one seed up.
I found myself struggling with this yesterday when trying to sow my celeriac seeds into modules and wondered afterwards whether it would have been more economical to have sprinkled a few of them onto damp kitchen tissue paper. This would have made it less easy for the seeds to roll around but they could perhaps have been edged apart on the damp tissue using the plain end of a matchstick, and then planted in the cell on the damp tissue paper. (I often plant my saved tomato seeds on dried kitchen tissue and it works fine). Mind you, I think this could only be done when working on a small scale otherwise the process would drive you bonkers.
However, it's too late for them now, but I may try this when I come to sow my kohl rabi in modules as the seed is fairly expensive for the relatively few you get, and I'd rather sow fewer and avoid having to pull out the surplus.
I found myself struggling with this yesterday when trying to sow my celeriac seeds into modules and wondered afterwards whether it would have been more economical to have sprinkled a few of them onto damp kitchen tissue paper. This would have made it less easy for the seeds to roll around but they could perhaps have been edged apart on the damp tissue using the plain end of a matchstick, and then planted in the cell on the damp tissue paper. (I often plant my saved tomato seeds on dried kitchen tissue and it works fine). Mind you, I think this could only be done when working on a small scale otherwise the process would drive you bonkers.
However, it's too late for them now, but I may try this when I come to sow my kohl rabi in modules as the seed is fairly expensive for the relatively few you get, and I'd rather sow fewer and avoid having to pull out the surplus.
I have not yet sown any brassicas, including the kohlrabi, so I I think I will try your idea of starting them off on damp kitchen paper, Primrose - I never thought of doing that for them.
When picking up germinated seeds (like I do when using Johnboy's method for sowing parsnips, for instance), I use a pair of tweezers with a fine, very curved tip and they work really well. I bought those many years ago for tidying up alpines before a show!
When picking up germinated seeds (like I do when using Johnboy's method for sowing parsnips, for instance), I use a pair of tweezers with a fine, very curved tip and they work really well. I bought those many years ago for tidying up alpines before a show!