Culling vs. Transplanting your starts

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

When I order in new seed stock, I almost always transplant when I have more than one in the same cell.  Its not common because with the cost of new stock, I usually only put a single seed in each cell.  When I have plenty of seed stock, I go three seed for cell and cull.  Wondering what other people do.
 
     I don't have much room for seedlings or adult plants, so I don't need many plants. I usually start 3-6 of each variety in a cell and slowly cull all but one.
 
I put up 3-6 hoping to get 2 strong for myself...sell gift the others.
 
Pickling peppers take a ton to fill a case of jars so no culling...sow 6, plant what comes up.
 
 
 
I used to go 1 seed per cell, multiple cells and cull or distribute accordingly. This year I went multiple seeds per cell to save space. Probably go back to 1 per 1 next year.
 
I typically do 1 seed per 2" soil block and start multiple blocks of each variety. If a seed doesn't germinate, I just return it to the "mother mix." If I only have a few seeds left of a certain variety that probably won't be viable next year, I double up on some soil blocks, then cull later. But I always have more plants than I need.
 
I do two seeds per cell.......then take the strongest of the two.
 
I start most seeds in solo cups. 1-2 plants per cup, never cull.  I have good germination rates, so I don't plant more than what I need. 
 
I don't plant that many, typically a dozen of each variety. Use Fox Farms Ocean Forest in 1.5" square pots with a single seed. Any that make it to transplant stage gets potted up to 1 gallon. From there I pot up the best 3 or 4 into 5 gallon or bigger and gift the rest.
 
I used to separate them, now im OK with 2 or even 3 being together.
 
2 medium sized plants in a pot vs 1 big plant in a pot? Meh
 
I usually dont cull unless they are really poor specimens and/or sick
 
My thing about one seed per cell is that sometimes the stock I wan is a dollar a seed & I am a horribly cheap bastard.
 
I'm using mostly my seeds from prior year peppers, so I'm putting about 3-5 seeds per cell.  I don't prune much at all...I like the challenge of turning even the runts into something worthwhile lol.  And when I get to the point where my small patch of yard, parking spots in the back driveway, and every other usable outside surface are used up, I'll start gifting :)
 
Mike
 
I'm pretty new to the whole hot pepper scene, but what I've started to do is planting 2-3 seeds per cell, then transplanting to cells that are not doing as well. I plan on giving away seedlings that I don't want to friends/family with gardens.
 
I have trouble getting rid of them just because they are slower than others. You never know, the slow runt may turn out to be "the one" we have all been searching for :)
Some of my slowest plants have been the meanest/hottest  
 
nzchili said:
I have trouble getting rid of them just because they are slower than others. You never know, the slow runt may turn out to be "the one" we have all been searching for :)
Some of my slowest plants have been the meanest/hottest  
Click to expand...
 
That is one of the reasons we stopped raising poultry for a living.  The kids and I are always attracted to the smallest most runty.  In theory, if a bird cant get out the shell on its own you should let it die.  We would spend an hour doing egg surgery to get it out only to see it die a week later.  Fortunately, I can handle culling plants.  Still sad, but I dont wind up with two kids loosing it for hours.  Oh I hated that.
 
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