Transplanting seedlings into growth medium – common mistakes

Always transplant seedlings that are in good condition. Rather discard the extra small seedlings and give them a chance to grow in the nursery.  They can be used as replacements if some of the other seedlings die off.

TIP: Use the strongest seedlings in the middle of the greenhouse since the microclimate is best suited for crop growth

Spindly seedlings should not be transplanted, unless they are used as substitute transplants. Over hardened seedlings never recover, so try and avoid them, these seedlings are already in a stressed condition and will never produce quality yields.  Severely wilted plants can be soaked in water, or in some cases, merely placed between water-soaked cloth for a short time to revive them prior to transplanting.

Plants should be planted so that the shoulder of the plug is level with either the growth medium in the bag or the gravel in the gully. I If weather conditions are dry and windy, wait for better transplanting conditions. The ideal planting time is late afternoons or during cloudy days.

Planting depth of seedlings in hydroponic bag culture. The shoulder of the root system should be level with the growth medium of the bags. Planting to high or to low will result in reduced growth rate in first weeks of growth. Note that the growth medium should fill the bag up to at least 3 cm from the top.

Planting depth of seedlings in Hydroponic NFT gravel culture. The shoulder of the root system should be level with the growth medium. Planting to high or to low will result in reduced growth rate in first weeks of growth. Plants that are planted to high will not be able to absorb water since their root system is no in touch with the water at the bottom of the gully.