Don’t forget to thin out parsnips, carrots & leeks

carrot seedling

If you’ve ordered parsnips, carrots or leeks then be sure to thin them out if necessary when they arrive. The parsnips and carrots will arrive in biodegradable pots and there will often be more than one seedling growing in the pot. The same is true of leeks although they arrive bare rooted.  The reason is that when we sow the seeds, we sow more than one per pot to increase chances of germination. But once they arrive with you it’s best to thin them out so that you don’t have multiple seedlings competing in the same space.

You can do one of two things. Either carefully pull up the unwanted seedlings to leave just the biggest (and strongest) one and plant it. Or….if you are extra careful you might be able to separate the seedlings at the roots and plant them separately. Think of it as plant one, get one free. The important thing is to adhere to the spacing recommendation in the growing guide to ensure that each individual plant has enough access to light, nutrients and water so that they can grow.