Thinning the crop... a lesson learned.

To thin or not to thin...

Thinning seedlings is a very important part of the gardening process. Thinning removes the smaller, weaker starts, allowing for the others to grow stronger, no longer competing for water, food, and sun. I thinned my plants yesterday. And although it was a heartbreaking process (how can I possibly choose one seedling over another?!), it was a rewarding one because my seed starts have entered their next phase of life and are on there way to getting even stronger for transplanting into the garden.

Now, comes the part where I tell you not to thin... Always read the seed packets before thinning!! I didn't do this. I left the peas for last because they were looking so bountiful, I had the hardest time seeing some of them go. But from all the reading I've done I figured, it was best for them, right? Wrong! After finishing I went to write in my journal to document the date of thinning and I took a peek at the peas seed packet. Yes, you guessed it, it said "do not thin"... I am so disappointed right now, but I still have hope. Although peas can be sown directly into the ground, we didn't do that this year since we are still building the garden beds. Thus, the seed starts are still growing within a couple inches of each other, even after being thinned. I'm hoping that this will be close enough for them to still use each other as support to continue to grow. I am getting a little nervous about getting them in the ground sooner than later as some of them are already a 10-12" and desperately need to get started on a trellis. Soon, my little peas, soon...

On a brighter note, my lettuce problem ended up not being a problem! It just looks like that! (Thanks for the consultation Heidi!) I didn't thin the lettuce yet, because I'm waiting for it to get a little stronger. The pumpkins are looking amazing too! Here's one of my favorite photos of one of the seedlings still holding on to the seed casing.

This afternoon is one of our last planting sessions... rhubarb, squash, beans, and carrots! After that we'll just have corn, and sunflowers! Where am I going to put all these trays?! Even more importantly, how are they all going to fit in my garden?


Enjoy your Sunday everyone, and happy planting!