New to this...started Tomatoes, hot peppers and herbs from seeds. I thinned the tomatoes down to one plant per square prior to transplanting to larger pots.

Now I've got little 1.5 inch peat pots with herbs that are getting close to transplanting age, parsley, thyme, mint, etc. In some cases there are groups of as few as 3 to as much as 5 or 6 plants per square.

Is it also necessary to thin these herbs down to one plant per pot?

I have Rosemary, basil, Cilantro and maybe Oregano that I have started.
Iam going to plant them in one of those pots that people used to use for strawberries and give it to my mother for Mothers day. The openings are on the smaller side, but I want to make each hole appear full so how many plants should I put in each hole?

I started my seedlinds in small bread tins and I am waiting for a second set of leaves before I make a move to a plug, but how many seeds per plug is the question.

Thanks for asking

When I seed herbs for sale (dill, basil, sage, parsley, cilantro, mint) I usually put 6-8 seeds in the center of each cell. If only a couple germinate I will add more seeds to that cell so that you end up with a nice presentable looking clump.

But the drawback is that the cells then have to be transplanted to a larger container (I use 4" plastic pots) rather quickly because the roots of so many in the clump will quickly overwhelm the individual cell. Since most all herbs are sold in individual pots rather than 6 packs like other vegetables and flowers this isn't a problem for me but it is something you have to take into consideration.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Do I need to thin them out, and if so, how and when do I do it? Plucking, scissors? Do I cut all but one or two seedlings in each clump? When is it safe to put them into their own pots? I'm quite confused.

I'd like to have someone else clarify too...the thinning out concept...if you have strong viable plants (just too many of them growing next to each other) Isn't it completely reasonable just to hand thin them and NOT pluck them out? but instead repot and let them grow on?

This is what I have done anyways, and so far (I could end up being disappointed) they still seem strong and are continuing to grow.

Any thoughts?

Sometimes if you have like 15 20 seedlings in one clump yes it would be best to thin and repot rather than plucking or cutting them out. I would recommend doing this when the seedling is approximately anywhere between 2 to 4 inches. Normally when I repot some of my seedlings I clump several together depending on the plant and the normal spread of that plant. In other words if I know my plant will grow vigurously the first year I may only plant 1 or 2. If its kinda skimpy looking I clump several together.

I hope that helps ya prherbivore!!