Time for a little veggie thinning...

No your veggies are not too fat! In fact, the fatter the better I say. But to get them that way you often need to thin out what you have planted. Tightly bunched seedlings don't produce big juicy carrots because there is too much plant competing for too little space, water, and nutrients. I found some helpful information on desired veggie spacing (the Thinning Table below) and also some helpful hints on how to go about the thinning process (a two step thinning hints based on carrots).

A warning; I am not an experienced thinnerer (that is not a real word) so you may want to run these distances by an experienced gardener before you start pulling. But as far as I can tell the spacing distances make sense and the hints on thinning are what I sometimes use when pulling weeds (as far as the watering goes) so I assume they'll work on veggies as well.

Thinning Table

Thinning Hints
The Hints are done for carrots but I think you should be able to apply them to any veggie if you cross reference the Thinning Table.

Step #1
Water carrot seedlings well before thinning. This will allow you to pull them out without breaking the roots, the smell of which attracts carrot root fly. Simply grip the seedling to be removed between thumb and forefinger and pull. Aim to leave seedlings at 1" spacings.

Step #2
After three to four weeks, repeat the thinning procedure to leave the seedling at a spacing of 2" apart. This second thinning usually produces tiny carrots that can be trimmed for use in salads or as a garnish (thats right, eat'em don't toss'em).