The most common sowing method used when planting from one place to another is to sow the seeds in the greenhouse in heat-proof plastic trays with about 200-250 holes. After 45-60 days the seedlings are taken to the field for transplanting. In some nursery services it is common to transfer seedlings from one tray to another (with about 50-60 holes) to make them better grown and disease resistant. This practice, known as transplanting, is done after the seedlings have grown 3-4 leaves. The seeds are placed 1cm deep in a dense mixture of plant substrate. Immediately after sowing, irrigation is applied and the trays are moved to the pre-sprouting room. The temperature is usually set between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius in an environment with about 90% dry humidity. Room darkness is recommended. When the seeds start to sprout, the seedlings are moved to the greenhouse. If the temperature in the greenhouse is too high, holes should be made in the trays to lower the temperature. About 45-60 days are required before the seedlings can be transplanted elsewhere in the field. At this stage, 4-6 leaves of the seedlings have started to develop. The number of seeds that germinate within the first 10 days after the first watering varies between 40% and 95% depending on the quality of the seed. Although the quality of seed in the greenhouse can be improved by treating the seed with a fungicide, there are currently no fungicides registered for seed treatment in most countries. Treatment of the seed with hot water between 57 and 59 degrees Celsius has shown positive results. Hot water treatment experiments have been carried out on artichokes before the commercialization of this method.
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