Thinning Your Sprouts for Big, Healthy Plants

Thinning is mission-critical to growing big, healthy plants that give you more to eat and enjoy! Thinning means removing some sprouts, giving the remaining plant(s) increased access to light, water, nutrients, air, and space so they can grow better without as much competition for resources.

All plants can be thinned to either 1 or 3 sprouts based on the categories below. Always use clean scissors, and snip the smallest sprouts just above the rockwool. Not sure of your plants' type? We've got you covered with details on every variety below.

• Most sprouts are edible, so try ‘em out! Just avoid sprouts from fruiting plants & flowers.

• There are only 5 exceptions that do not need to be thinned at all: Arugula, Chamomile, Chives, Garlic Chives, and Wheatgrass. You won't harm them if you thin them, but you'll get the best experience by skipping these varieties.

• Each stem or sprout coming from the yCube is its own plant, and it's normal for many to sprout at once. Thinning gives the remaining plant(s) increased access to light, water, nutrients, air, & space.

It's best to thin your plants after they've been exposed to plant food for 1 week, helping you to see which are the tallest sprouts versus which ones won't make the cut. Kelby will send you a task reminder in the app when it's time to thin after germinating your Welcome Kit or starting fresh with all new plants on your Gardyn.

Fruiting plants: Banana Pepper, Burrito Pepper, Candy Cane Pepper, Cape Gooseberry, Cucumber, Dragon Beans, Fairytale Eggplant, Goliath Pepper, Green Beans, Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper, Jalapeño, Lemon Hot Pepper, Mini Eggplant, Mini Strawberries, Mini Squash, Peas, Poblano Pepper, Purple Beans, Red Cherry Tomato, Shishito Pepper, Sweet Peppers, Thai Eggplant, Yellow Beans, Yellow Cherry Tomato

Lettuces & Leafy Greens: American Mustard, Breen, Bronze Arrow, Bull's Blood Beets, Buttercrunch, Butterhead, Cardinale, Celery, Collard Greens, Endive Lettuce, Flashy Trout Back, Green Bok Choy, Green Mustard, Green Salanova, Green Tatsoi, Hon Tsai Tai, Iceberg, Kale, Kale Lacinato, Lollo Rossa, Matilda, Mini Broccoli, Mini Cauliflower, Monte Carlo, Perpetual Spinach, Pink Celery, Pink Swiss Chard, Purple Bok Choy, Purple Kohlrabi, Radicchio, Red Amaranth, Red Mustard, Red Romaine, Red Sails Lettuce, Red Salad Bowl, Red Sorrel, Red Tatsoi, Romaine, Rouge d'Hiver, Shiso, Swiss Chard, Tokyo Bekana, Wasabi Greens, Yellow Swiss Chard

Large flowers: Bi-Color Sunflower, Blue Cornflower, Blush Hibiscus, Borage, Canna Flower, Sunflower, Red Hibiscus

Herbs: Basil, Bunching Onions, Catnip, Chervil, Cilantro, Dill, Holy Basil, Italian Parsley, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Lime Basil, Mint, Purple Basil, Purslane, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Stevia, Sweet Thai Basil, Sweet Marjoram, Tarragon, Watercress

Small flowers: Black Viola, Celosia Mix, Dianthus, Fiesta Gitana, Fuchsia Snapdragon, Marigold, Nasturtium, Night-Scented Stock, Oopsy Daisy, Pink Petunia, Purple Campanula, Purple Snapdragon, Radio Calendula, Red Impatiens, Scarlet Snapdragon, Stock Flower, Torenia, Viola, White Petunia

Questions? Reach us at support@mygardyn.com, or chat with us! We're here to help.