chard in modules?

[PMW]

Not sure if I did the right thing, but 10 days ago I sowed a few chard and spinach beet seeds into small modules. I only sowed 1 seed per module, but some now have more than one seedling appearing. A few questions:

Should I remove seedlings to leave 1 per module?

How long can I leave them in the modules before they will need planting out as long roots already showing through the bottom?

Are they not really suitable for modules?

[Bren In Pots]

I sow mine in paper pots and plant them out once they're a decent size hopefully then they'll stand a bit of a chance from the slugs.

[rustylady]

Chard, leaf beet and beetroot seeds are actually a cluster of seeds so even if you plant one per cell you may well get two or three seedlings germinate. I always start beetroot in modules and leave all the seedlings - they push themselves apart when planted out to grow to maturity.

[Alison]

I start my chard off like that but in quite decent sized modules (I don't really use the titchy ones) which are 6 cells to a half tray. I always thin out to one plant and grow on to a reasonable size before planting out otherwise I end up feeding the slugs. The plants can grow pretty big so it's not ideal to have more than one in a station although two probably isn't the end of the world.

[Paulottie]

Agree with Alison...thin to one per module.

[Rabidbun]

You can split them successfully when bigger but they do tend to flop over for a while when you do. I am evil to my chard though (there are rumours amongst my surviving chard plants that the gardening woman used two of their friends as slug bait this year!).

[Pinfold Plotter]

I've been sowing beetroot and chard in root trainers. Seem to be doing ok so far. I nip out any secondary seedlings as soon as they appear. The chard I planted out a month ago hasn't grown much at all with the lack of sun - I'm keeping my fingers crossed they are developing a lovely strong root system instead!