Transplant Production Workshop (Saturday April 7, 2012)

Ajay Nair
Department of Horticulture
Iowa State University

Department of Horticulture in partnership with The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is organizing a Vegetable Transplant Production Workshop for home gardeners, vegetable producers, greenhouse growers, and folks interested in growing their own vegetables from transplants.  The workshop titled "Tips and Tricks of Vegetable Transplant Production," is scheduled for Saturday, April 7, 2012 at Horticulture Hall on the Iowa State campus in Ames. The day-long workshop, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., will focus on specific areas of transplant production — greenhouse lighting, water quality, nutrient medium, organic production and pest management. Participants also would have an opportunity to get hands-on experience evaluating transplants grown in different growing medium and different cell sizes. One of the workshop sessions will provide information on some new medium alternatives for vegetable transplant production including dried distiller’s grain with solubles (DDGS) and biochar.

Advantages of transplants are many — uniform growth, robust growth and healthy root system. Production of transplants involves advance planning and optimum use of greenhouse resources. This is critical for vegetable transplants like tomato and pepper that are in the greenhouse for six to seven weeks. Workshop sessions will explain proper sanitation measures, quality seed and growing mediums, and how to manage greenhouse environments so growers can produce healthy, disease free and quality transplants that contribute towards higher yield and productivity.

Registration before April 1 is $15; after that date registration is $20. Access program information and registration by clicking any of the links below:

Program information and registration form 

www.hort.iastate.edu/news.