BENCH PREPARATION 
To prepare for transrlanting add 2 or 3 pounds of super-phosphate per 
00 square feet of bench, this airrount should be sufficient for one year. 
Then the bench should be cultivated, leveled roughly and then topped 
with shredded peat moss %” to 1” deep (a bale should cover 200 to 300 
sq. ft.). Use the light colored less decomposed peat. This peat should then 
be mixed into the top layer of soil so that it will not move when watered; 
then level the bench for planting and steam sterilize, maintain 180° F. for 
one hour. Bench the following day and water well after benching. The use 
of peat will assure the grower that fertility and salt levels will now injure 
the plants, as the peat acts like a sponge and absorbs excess nitrates. 
TRANSPLANTING AND SPACING 
Select plants of uniform size and quality, if this is not done the ben h 
will mature unevenly and will take as much time to cut off as a pinched 
crop. We prefer the use of seedlings not over 2” tall and we recommend 
that they be given a light application of liquid feed (1 teaspoon to gal. of 
water) about two days before transplanting. Handle carefully and to 
assure success during hot weather after transplanting a few rows go back 
and water each individual plant. Always grasp seedlings by the leaves, 
never the stem, this will prevent injury. After transplanting, the seedlings 
must be shaded to guard against wilting. DON’T PLANT TOO DEEP, 
as this causes stems to rot. 
For benching from Sept. 15th to early Feb., we suggest a 3”x6” spacing, 
that is, space the plants 3” in the rows and the rows 6” apart, tais will 
allow room for watering, feeding or cultivation during their growing 
season. For benching from early Feb. to early Sept. we recom:iaend a 
spacing of 3”x4” or 2%”x5s”, these spacings will yield satisfactory quality 
and give the best returns during their respective seasons. Wider spacings 
will give added weight to your Snaps, but the major part of this is grass, 
the closer spacings are more jrofitable to the grower. 
Precision pinching is a pinch just above the 1st set of true leaves (not 
the seed leaves). For this pinch we recommend a spacing of 6”x6”. Ran- 
dom pinching will allow an average of 3 to 4 stems per plant (just above 
the 2nd set of true leaves). Space 6”x8” for this pinch. 
For a double pinch or higher pinch than 2 sets of true leaves, a spacing 
of at least 7’x8” should be used. 
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF PLANTS REQUIRED 
FOR VARIOUS SPACINGS 
3 ”x6” requires 800 plants per 100 sq. ft. bench space 
3 x4” requires 1200 plants per 100 sd. ft. bench space 
214”x5” requires 1150 plants per 100 sq. ft. bench space 
6 ”x6” requires 400 plants per 100 sq. ft. bench space 
6 ”x8” requires 300 plants per 100 sq. ft. bench space 
7 x8” requires 260 plants per 100 sq. ft. bench space 
