This is the time of year when gardeners are thinning. Thinning is removing some seedlings and fruit that are spaced too close together, allowing the remaining fruit/plants to have enough room to grow.

Vegetable plants such as carrots, beets, spinach, radishes, parsnips, onions, lettuce etc., are thinned out so that the remaining plants can grow into full-sized, healthy productive plants. Thinning them out will give them space, air circulation, and they won’t have to compete for moisture and nutrients with too many nearby plants.

Fruits such as apples are thinned out so that the fruit can grow to full size, and the tree branch is able to support the weight of the fruit left on the tree.

When seeds are directly sown into the garden, they are not spaced, because of the small size of the seed and the percentage of germination. After the seeds have germinated and are 2-3 cms tall or have their first true set of leaves, they are ready to be thinned. Be careful when thinning as you do not want to disturb the roots of the seedlings left in the row. Thin seedlings when the soil is damp as this is when it is easiest to gently pull out the extra seedlings while leaving the roots of the wanted seedlings undisturbed.

The best time to thin out plants is in the evening or on a cloudy day as this will be less stressful on the remaining plants. The recommended space between plants will depend on the plant. Check the planting instructions given on the seed packet. Carrots for example will need to be spaced 3-5 cm apart if you want large sized carrots, while lettuce would be 20-35 cm apart depending on the type. When thinning out beets, spinach, lettuce and other greens, the seedlings that are thinned out can be washed and eaten.

Apples grow in clusters, with as many as 6-7 apples per cluster. This is too many, and if left on it will result in small sized fruit, heavy weight on the branch and a possibility of having very little to no fruit the following year. You want to thin apples out to one or two of the healthiest apples per cluster, spaced 15-20 cm apart.

Apples are thinned when the fruit is around 3 cm in diameter. First remove any diseased, or damaged fruit. Next remove the smaller fruit. If you have to make a choice of 2-3 remaining apples, choose the ones that will receive the most sun, as these will be the tastiest and most colourful. Be careful when removing the unwanted fruit as you do not want to harm the fruit spur. Carefully hold the unwanted apple and gently pull it back. You can also use small pinch-nosed scissors to carefully clip out the unwanted apples.

When you are thinning out apples, it also gives you a chance to check the tree for any pests or disease, and to treat the problem. Remove any damaged, or diseased branches as well as any suckers and water shoots, that take important energy away from the tree.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road