Maybe I'm a bleeding heart, but I always find myself resisting to do any thinning. It just seems counter intuitive, after working so hard to provide seedlings with proper soil, light and water, to then kill almost half of what responded to your care and sprouted. But I have learned over the seasons that the plants given enough growing room will be the healthiest and most productive. Over crowding often results in diseases, pests, stunted twisted growth and no fruiting at all, not to mention that they become very dependent on heavy water and fertilizer treatments. And so...
I've sowed three to four seeds per pot, usually two come up per pot, so I choose the weaker ones, the ones with the bent stems, small leaves etc. and then I simply pinch them off with my nails.
They look so much happier already
I sowed the peppers in bigger pots so that I may not have to pot them up at all before they get put into their summer home, thinning is really important for allowing me to do this.
Its tough, I love all babies, but I try to keep in mind that this is all part of the path to loads of home grown vegetables!
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