Abstract
The growth rate of plug seedlings at various transplant ages of cabbage or chingensai after transplanting was investigated. Twenty-five-day seedlings had enough shaped root balls, while 15-day or 20-day seedlings did not. They could not be taken out of plug trays with their root ball intact. From this point, it seemed better for seedlings to be nursed for 25 days. But relative growth rate of estimated leaf area (ELA) was larger and ELA enlargement was faster in 15-day or 20-day seedlings than in 25-day seedlings after transplanting. Thus 25-day seedlings that appeared to be ready for transplanting already got growth retardation because of their root ball formation.
