Harden the seedlings for 5 days by gradually reducing the frequency of watering and exposing them to more sunlight. A good seedling is in the 4 or 5-leaf stage (about 4 weeks old), vigorous, disease-free, stocky, and without flowers. Transplanting is done in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day to minimize transplant shock. The seedling is inserted in a hole so the cotyledons appear above the surface. Irrigation is done as soon as possible after transplanting.
In most areas, 1.5-m wide beds (furrow to furrow), 30 cm high are commonly used. Two rows are transplanted per bed. The two rows in each bed are spaced 50-cm apart, with plants spaced 50-cm apart within each row. This creates a population density of 26,670 plants/ha
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