 in how the plant performs.
- Yields can be comparable over a wide range of transplant ages.
- Young transplants can be difficult to remove from cell packs.
- Older transplants cost more to produce than younger transplants.
- For bell peppers and tomatoes, older transplants result in earlier yields than young ones.
Suggestions for transplant age reflect what is found in the literature. They are generally midranges accounting for the difficulty of removing young transplants from cells and minimizing production costs for producing older transplants. One suggestion is to aim for the lower end of the range. That way, in the event that it is not possible to transplant when planned, plants can still be field planted for several days without yield being affected. The suggested age ranges of transplants for ideal growth are 8-10 weeks for bell pepper, 6-8 weeks for tomato and 2-3 weeks for squash.
McCraw, B.D. and J.K. Greig. 1986. Effect of transplant age and pruning procedure on yield and fruit-set of bell pepper. HortScience 21:430-431.
NeSmith, D.S. 1993. Transplant age influences summer squash growth and yield. HortScience 28:618-620.
Vavrina, C.S. and M.D. Orzolek. 1993. Tomato transplant age: A review. HortTechnology 3:313-316.
Weston, L.A. 1988. Effect of flat cell size, transplant age, and production site on growth and yield of pepper transplants. HortScience 23:709-711.
1Elsa Sanchez, Associate Professor of Horticultural Systems Management
Effect of Transplant Age on Yield
The Vegetable & Small Fruit Gazette, V15:6, June 2011
Penn State Cooperative Extension