thinning seedlings is one of the hardest things gardeners have to do. it seems cruel to grow tiny, baby plants just to rip them out and toss them in the trash . . . *sigh* . . . but it must be done.
thinning seedlings is necessary for the survival of your plants. too many plants too close together will not have enough air circulation or room to grow. the other seedlings will compete for nutrients, water, and sunlight.
once your seedlings have a couple of sets of true leaves and are a few inches tall, the weaker seedlings are ready to be thinned. there are two ways to do this. the easiest way is to snip off the entire plant at the soil line with clean scissors or shears. or, you can dampen the soil and gently pull out the seedling, roots and all. i prefer to snip them so as not to disturb the root systems of the stronger plants.
read more about thinning seedlings at about.com.
here is a good video that shows the thinning process:
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