GROWING GREENHOUSE VEGETABLE TRANSPLANTS

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GROWING GREENHOUSE VEGETABLE TRANSPLANTS
Original Power Point Created by Myron K.
Sellers Modified by Georgia Agricultural
Education Curriculum Office June 2002
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ADVANTAGES

• Early and uniform transplants.
• Healthier plants.
• Less transplant shock.
• Earlier harvest of vegetables.

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CONSIDERATIONS

• Requires capital investment.
• Requires intensive management.
• Crop failures due to insects, disease, and
  equipment failure.

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CROPS GROWN FROM TRANSPLANTS

• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Onion
• Watermelon
• Squash

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GROWING THE TRANSPLANT
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Seeds are direct seeded into a plastic or
styrofoam tray filled with soil less media.
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Trays are placed on a t-rail system of benches.
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Automated watering booms are used to irrigate.
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Irrigation is controlled by an electronic
controller.
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Fertilizer is injected into the irrigation system.
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Cooling the greenhouse.

• Fans are used to exhaust hot air.
• The sidewalls of some greenhouses lower to allow
  warm air to escape.

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Heating

• Gas-fired heaters are usually necessary to grow
  tomato, pepper, squash, and watermelon
  transplants.

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Insects, diseases, and weeds must be intensively
managed.
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Transplants are grown 4 to 6 weeks before
planting in the field.

• One worker is assigned to 6,000 sq. ft. of
  greenhouse space.
• He is responsible for the growing process from
  seeding to maturity.

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Transplants are bundled for retail sales.
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Farmers often take the transplants to the field
in the growing tray.
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Many of the transplants are grown to harvest
using plasticulture.
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The amount of greenhouse grown vegetable
transplants is increasing because the plants are
uniform and the harvest is early.