Transplanting Calculator & Seedlings, Nursery & Seed
Plans rice
Plan your transplanting — from field area and spacing get the plants to transplant, the seedlings to raise with a buffer, the nursery bed area, and the seed to sow.
Enter your field
Next: sow the 4,309 g of seed in the 103 m² nursery 3–4 weeks before transplanting, harden the seedlings off in the last week, and transplant only the strongest into moist, well-prepared soil.
At 20×15 cm = 33 plants/m²; nursery rate 1,500 seedlings/m² of bed.
Transplanting — key facts
- Plants
- area ÷ (row × plant)
- Mortality buffer
- ≈ 10–20%
- Nursery density
- ≈ 1000–1500/m²
- Rice spacing
- ≈ 20 × 15 cm
- Tomato spacing
- ≈ 60 × 45 cm
- Veg nursery age
- ≈ 4–6 weeks
- Rice nursery age
- ≈ 20–30 days
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Raise exactly enough seedlings
Transplanted crops — rice and most vegetables — start life in a small, protected nursery before moving to the field. Plan it wrong and you either run short of seedlings at transplanting (gaps in the field, lost yield) or waste seed and nursery space. The chain is simple: field area and spacing fix the plants needed, a mortality buffer sets the seedlings to raise, and germination sets the seed to sow in a nursery of the right size.
This tool runs that whole chain for your crop, spacing and area, so you sow the right amount of seed in the right-sized nursery and transplant a full, uniform stand. Add a sensible mortality buffer, harden seedlings before lifting, and transplant on time for the crop. Pair it with the Plant Spacing, Seed Rate and Days to Harvest tools to plan the rest of the crop.
Never run short
Raise a buffer of seedlings so you fill every space in the field.
Size the nursery
Get the bed area and seed to sow — no wasted space or seed.
Save on seed
Transplanting uses far less seed than direct sowing high-value crops.
Plan any plot
Works in acre, hectare, bigha, guntha or m² for any field size.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many seedlings do I need to transplant?+
It's the field area divided by the spacing: plants = area ÷ (row spacing × plant spacing). Rice at 20 × 15 cm needs about 333,000 plants per hectare; tomato at 60 × 45 cm needs about 37,000. This tool computes it for your crop, spacing and area.
Why raise more seedlings than plants needed?+
Because some seedlings die or are too weak to transplant. Raise a buffer — typically 10–20% extra — so you can cull weak plants and still fill the field. The tool adds your mortality percentage to the plants needed to give the number of seedlings to raise.
How big should my nursery be?+
It depends on the seedling density your nursery method supports — roughly 1,000–1,500 transplantable seedlings per square metre of bed for most vegetables and rice. The tool divides the seedlings to raise by that density to size the nursery bed area.
How much seed do I sow in the nursery?+
Work back from seedlings needed and germination: seeds = seedlings ÷ germination %, then grams = seeds ÷ seeds-per-gram. Tiny vegetable seeds (tomato ~300/g) need only a few grams; rice (~45 seeds/g) needs much more by weight. The tool gives grams and kg.
What spacing should I use?+
Use the recommended spacing for the crop and variety — closer for determinate or short-duration types, wider for vigorous, long-duration ones. The tool pre-fills a standard spacing per crop, which you can override. Wider spacing means fewer, larger plants; closer means more plants and higher density.
When should I sow the nursery before transplanting?+
Most vegetables transplant 4–6 weeks after sowing (3–4 true leaves); rice 20–30 days; onion 6–8 weeks. Count back from your target transplant date to set the nursery sowing date, and harden seedlings (reduce water/shade) for a few days before lifting.
Why transplant instead of direct-sow?+
Transplanting saves expensive seed (you raise plants in a small, protected nursery), gives a head start while the main field is still occupied or being prepared, lets you select the strongest seedlings, and produces a uniform, weed-competitive stand. It costs labour but suits high-value crops and rice.
How do I reduce transplant shock?+
Harden seedlings before lifting, transplant in the cool of evening or on an overcast day, keep roots moist, water immediately after planting, and lift with a little soil/plug intact. Healthy hardened seedlings with minimal root disturbance recover fastest — which is why the mortality buffer matters.
Can I use this for plug trays or pro-trays?+
Yes — the plants-needed and seed figures are the same. For tray-raised seedlings, set germination high (good seed in trays germinates 85–95%) and a low mortality, since plug seedlings transplant with little shock. The nursery 'bed area' then represents tray bench space.
Does it work for any area unit?+
Yes — enter the area in acre, hectare, guntha, bigha or m² and the tool converts internally. The plants, seedlings, nursery size and seed all scale to whatever area you choose, so you can plan a backyard plot or a multi-acre field.