Way too much Thyme on my hands

Go ahead and groan, but you had to expect that there would be a "Thyme Joke" in there sooner or later. I thought I'd get it over with. And now that we're over that hurdle...

As a Bumbling Gardenista, I tend to have trust issues with seeds.

I usually start with just one seed in each little hole, but what if that one doesn't work? So I put in another one. And some of those seeds are small, so I'll add a few more just in case. And all of a sudden, I have this...

A big, blobby clod of suffocating plants.
Whoops.
Like I said, trust issues.

And two years ago, I would have plopped that bunch right into the ground, and wondered why I only got a scraggly bunch of herbs and not a full, thriving plant.

So I pulled out some pots and some dirt and sat on a bag of organic fertilizer in the middle of my driveway and listened to the birds and had a bit of fun with my little seedlings.

This requires a patient, careful hand. So of course, I lost a few.
I pulled the plants out gently by the stem at first and towards the end, when I was feeling lazy, pulled out the whole clump and divided them much more easily, I think. Either way worked fine.

These guys really do grow some pretty deep roots. I was impressed.

I put each individual seedling into the pot, with the root all the way down to the bottom so it would be able to suck up all the water it needed. I've read that if you replant plants, deeper into the soil, up to about where the stem splits, it will encourage deeper root growth and a much stronger plant.

I added a bit more dirt and, TADA! an individual little plant, with it's very own room. Now maybe it will stop stealing nutrients from its siblings, like sisters who think that the closet is open territory if it's in a shared space. Thank goodness plants go through life mostly naked. Mostly, because we've all dressed a salad before. (baa-dum-cha!)

Sorry. 2 bad jokes in one post. I don't know why you people stick around...

So I went from 24 little pots (some of which were empty because I must have put a double dose of seeds in some and skipped other, which i seem to do a lot)...

To 35 little pots...

Plus another 30...

And 27 more to hand out to friends. Genovosa Basil anyone? Thyme? Tarragon?

Lets get a seed swap going!!!

Any tips about dividing plants? Any kind... bushes, bulbs, veggies? Share, share!

I've got a father-in-law with the ability to divide cuttings from his hazelnut bush. I'll have to see that.

And speaking of awesome In-Laws,

Check out what my awesome mother-in-law picked up for me!
 I love a little whimsy...
In-laws rock! And I'm not just saying that because they'll probably read this post.... :)