A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum The Tomato Forum Thinning tomatoes

Now that my tomatoes have popped up I have to start thinking about thinning them. They are all crowded together but are in a nice deep container. They are newborn, only up a few days, but there are soooo many! This is my first time growing from seeds. I have grape, roma, and big beef. All are seeds harvested from tomatoes we grew last summer. When do I start to thin them out, and how do I do it with the least damage? Thanks, I would appreciate any help.

Well, that depends. Do you want to save each and every plant or just the strongest of each variety? I would wait until they get their first true leaves and then use a pair of scissors or nail clippers to cut off the ones that look weak or scraggly. However, if you are wanting to save each plant, you may want to VERY carefully crumble the soil, and gently remove each seedling and immediately replant. If you wait until they are older, they're roots will be tangled and you won't be able to separate them without damaging them.

My seed package said to thin them when they reach 3 inches. and tomatoes don't transplant well FYI.

tomatoes transplant very well. They do wilt the first day or two after transplant but then they come right back.

I'm brutal with my tomatoes and they survive. I've broken 3 tomato plants apart in a 16 oz cup with massive rootboundness happening with not so much as a whimper. They're tough plants.

Cheers,
Julianna