I really don't want to cull the extra seedlings. Any chance I could carefully separate them now and up-pot? They're so healthy! Plus friends want some. Please help! 😁
by notoriousshasha
17 Comments
BackFew5485
Yes and yes. Very gently pull them apart by lightly rubbing the soil between the plants. Tomato seedlings are super resilient and you can get away with being rough with them.
moshgardens
Definitely for tomatoes and peppers, their roots are forgiving. I think this is a great size to do this for your tomatoes (I might bury the stems a little deep too since they look a little leggy, and get them closer to their light source) and wait a week or so for the peppers to size up a little before you try to do it with those.
MrJim63
I often just put a paper towel with my tomato seeds in a pot cover and water. Then when planting time comes I just pull them apart , bury as much stem as I can (usually removing the first 1-2 sets of leaves/ branches)
The_Best_Jason
Yep! As everyone else already said. Tomato seedlings are incredibly resilient. Extra plants!!
Signal_Error_8027
Right after they get their first true leaves is my favorite time to separate them. The roots are developed enough to take a little breakage, but still small enough to tease apart pretty easily.
After separating, plant them deep enough in the next pot for the seed leaves to be a little higher than the soil. They’ll grow roots all along that buried stem.
discreetman38
Just do it!!
dachshundslave
I do it all the time with a cup of water. Uproot the whole thing and dunk it in water to loosen it without damaging anything.
EntertainerNo6410
Gotta diddle the roots
ShredTheMar
Someone on YouTube actually ended up doing an experiment to show how much faster separating seedlings would recover and it really showed that the plants don’t care
Krickett72
Yes you can. Just be very gentle.
Ishitontrumpsgrave
I plant my tomato seedlings in one tiny 1″ x1″ pot, when they get 2 inches tall separate into bigger pots.
Responsible_Bath_659
I do! Can’t bring myself to “thin” them.
juryjjury
I do this a lot. They are tender and look like you killed them right after separating but let them alone in moist soil and they will recover. Resist the urge to straighten then up for a day. I use a knife and a grapefruit spoon to separate mine. You can bury them deeply in the new media. First real leaves like you have is the perfect time to do this.
denvergardener
I do it all the time.
mikebrooks008
The smaller they are, the easier the separation. If the roots are tangled, just tease them apart gently, don’t rip aggressively. They might look a bit droopy for a day or two but they’ll recover.
CeasarYaLater
I do and it usually works.
beans3710
Remove the soil from the cup and place it in a bowl of water. Then wash the soil away and tease the roots apart gently. They should separate pretty easily. Then you can replant them separately.
17 Comments
Yes and yes. Very gently pull them apart by lightly rubbing the soil between the plants. Tomato seedlings are super resilient and you can get away with being rough with them.
Definitely for tomatoes and peppers, their roots are forgiving. I think this is a great size to do this for your tomatoes (I might bury the stems a little deep too since they look a little leggy, and get them closer to their light source) and wait a week or so for the peppers to size up a little before you try to do it with those.
I often just put a paper towel with my tomato seeds in a pot cover and water. Then when planting time comes I just pull them apart , bury as much stem as I can (usually removing the first 1-2 sets of leaves/ branches)
Yep! As everyone else already said. Tomato seedlings are incredibly resilient. Extra plants!!
Right after they get their first true leaves is my favorite time to separate them. The roots are developed enough to take a little breakage, but still small enough to tease apart pretty easily.
After separating, plant them deep enough in the next pot for the seed leaves to be a little higher than the soil. They’ll grow roots all along that buried stem.
Just do it!!
I do it all the time with a cup of water. Uproot the whole thing and dunk it in water to loosen it without damaging anything.
Gotta diddle the roots
Someone on YouTube actually ended up doing an experiment to show how much faster separating seedlings would recover and it really showed that the plants don’t care
Yes you can. Just be very gentle.
I plant my tomato seedlings in one tiny 1″ x1″ pot, when they get 2 inches tall separate into bigger pots.
I do! Can’t bring myself to “thin” them.
I do this a lot. They are tender and look like you killed them right after separating but let them alone in moist soil and they will recover. Resist the urge to straighten then up for a day. I use a knife and a grapefruit spoon to separate mine. You can bury them deeply in the new media. First real leaves like you have is the perfect time to do this.
I do it all the time.
The smaller they are, the easier the separation. If the roots are tangled, just tease them apart gently, don’t rip aggressively. They might look a bit droopy for a day or two but they’ll recover.
I do and it usually works.
Remove the soil from the cup and place it in a bowl of water. Then wash the soil away and tease the roots apart gently. They should separate pretty easily. Then you can replant them separately.