This poster includes 12 steps to preparing a nursery bed for vegetable transplants. 

Transplants are an excellent way to establish onion and tomato plantings. Beginning with healthy and vigorous transplants is the key to a successful crop. Vegetable seedlings are very sensitive to seedling diseases and must be protected. Use of solarization to disinfest the nursery bed is highly recommended as solarization kills many of the diseases of lettuce seedlings as well as weeds.

Nursery bed preparation:

1. Construct raised seedbeds of 1m wide where no eggplant, potato, or tomato have been grown for at least 3 years.
2. Incorporate 5 kg/m2 of good compost into the bed.
3. Solarize the plant bed to kill diseases if possible.
4. Form shallow furrows. 1 ha of tomato will require 150 to 200g of good seed.
5. Sow seed and cover lightly with soil.
6. Pat firmly with a rake, mulch, and then water.
7. Do not use fresh manure on a seedbed as it burns seedlings.
8. After seedlings emerge, push mulch off the seedlings to allow sunlight.
9. Young seedlings require sufficient water. Reduce water 1 week before transplanting to harden seedlings.
10. Tomato seedlings will be ready to transplant with 3 to 5 true leaves. Onion seedlings will be ready with 3 to 5 well-formed leaves. Transplant on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon.