Nursery Seedling Count Calculator

Work out nursery seedling count instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Nursery Seedling Count Calculator

Nursery output is cells sown x emergence rate x (1 - cull rate). Emergence covers seeds that never came up; culling removes leggy, diseased or undersized plants at grading. Only the survivors of both stages are worth loading onto the transplanter.

Formula

Nursery output

Usable seedlings = trays x cells x emergence % x (1 - cull %)

Worked example

With the default values below, Nursery Seedling Count Calculator returns Transplantable Seedlings of 16,582. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Number Of Traysminimum 1: 200
Cells Per Trayminimum 1: 98
Emergence Rateaccepts 1–100 %: 90 %
Culled At Gradingaccepts 0–50 %: 6 %

Results

Transplantable Seedlings: 16,582
Cells Sown: 19,600
Seedlings Emerged: 17,640
Total Loss: 3,018

Step by step

1Values used
2Nursery output
3Transplantable Seedlings= 16,582
4Cells Sown= 19,600
5Seedlings Emerged= 17,640
6Total Loss= 3,018

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to whole numbers, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many trays should I sow for a target field?

Divide the field's plant requirement (population plus gap-filling allowance) by the usable seedlings per tray, then round up to whole trays.

What emergence should I expect in trays?

Good-quality graded seed in a controlled nursery gives 90-95%. Untreated or older seed, cold soil temperature and uneven watering pull it well below that.