Question
Hey Mike,

Pretty general question here, but I'm a newbie to much of this. I have some raised garden beds, and last week, I planted some head lettuce seeds and some okra seeds directly into the soil. Within a few days, sprouts had emerged. Now I'm wondering at what stage do I need to thin out? I planted in rows (dug a straight furrow, sprinkled the seeds up and down the furrow). The okra seem to have come up in little spaced-out groups, with lots of little shoots clumped together. Do I thin out to only one?

For the lettuce, they just popped out of the soil, and they too are in little groups, but they are just tiny little leaves at this point busting out in the soil.

Any ideas for when to thin?

Josh

Answer
Always wait until the plants develop their second set of leaves, which is generally 2 weeks after germination. Also, do not pull them out unless they're clearly separated. It's best to cut them at the base with a small set of scissors. This will prevent the roots of the remaining plants from being disturbed.

Good luck, and feel free to write again if you need assistance.

Regards,

Mike