Step-by-step tomato update: thinning your seedlings

This is a follow-up on starting your tomato seedlings - see our blog post from March 14. This thinning technique applies to many different herb and vegetable starters.

Since we planted more than one seed in each biodegradable pot, we have a cluster of tomato plants that sprouted. This causes them to compete with each other for nutrition, water, and sunlight.

In this follow-up tutorial, we’ll choose the strongest plant from each pot and pull out the weaker sprouts. It's pretty straightforward and simple, but it's also a vital step in growing strong plants that will bring a good harvest of tomatoes.

Step 1. Take a look at your pots that have your sprouts in them. Choose which among them is the strongest starter sprout or sprouts. Tips: Look for a thick stem, a strong leaf structure, and height.

Step 2. Once you’ve chosen the strongest one(s), you can start plucking the other sprouts off at the base. Tweezers make this job much easier (and more precise) than using your fingers.

Step 3. Once you've thinned out your seedlings and have the strongest ones remaining in their pots, set them back onto your growing table and watch them flourish!