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Reducing Transplant Stress in Field Vegetables - Frequently Asked Questions | |
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| Why bother with transplants?
- Decreased seed requirements and costs
- Reduced labour requirements for thinning
- Uniform planting density
- Accelerated crop development
- Earlier crop maturity and longer harvest window
- Increased returns due to earlier harvests, improved yields and crop quality
- Increased crop uniformity
- Allow the use of potentially higher quality cultivars/varieties which require longer seasons
Tips or techniques for reducing transplant stress
- Ensure that transplants have a good root system.
- Ensure that transplants are the appropriate age and size (not too big or too old) as younger plants tend to establish faster and experience less shock.
- Ensure that transplants are properly hardened off. This process is designed to allow plants to prepare/adjust to the harsher environmental conditions outside of the greenhouse. This may involve:
- Allowing plants to dry out slightly
- Reducing fertilizer
- Placing in direct sunlight or outside during day
- Reducing or increasing temperature for 2 to 5 days depending on planting conditions
- Ensure that transplants have root ball moisture topped up before planting.
- When planting:
- Transplants must be placed at the proper depth.
- Soil should be firmly packed around the root ball.
- Plants should receive a dose of high phosphorus water-soluble fertilizer after planting.
- Plants should be watered in after planting as this ensures that there is adequate moisture and soil to root contact.
- Avoid activities that remove or damage roots.
- Planting should take place on calm, cool, overcast days as opposed to hot, dry and windy days.
- Some shelter or additional protection may be required.
Prepared by Robert Spencer, Ag-Info Centre, Alberta Agriculture & Forestry |
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For more information about the content of this document, contact the Ag-Info Centre.
This information published to the web on May 12, 2004.
Last Reviewed/Revised on September 5, 2017.
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