transplanting basil and sage-help!

[PaulF]

My wife belongs to a garden club and had me start from seed green culinary sage and sweet genovese basil to sell at a fund raiser plant sale scheduled for the end of April. The seeds were started the same time as my tomatoes and peppers, around the first week of March.

Everything germinated fine and are growing under lights; there are hundreds of seedlings of each herb and they are showing the first set of true leaves. Should they be transplanted the same as tomatoes and peppers? I do that when there are two sets of leaves. I have also been told to wait for four or more sets of leaves before transplanting herbs. What is the best time?

I think we will put the herbs in small pots in clumps of maybe four or five plants per pot for the sale. Transplant to the final pot at transplant time or repot at sale time?

This is my second try at herbs and can't remember what I did last time I asked for help and my old thread didn't ask or answer this question. Thanks for the advise.

[celticman]

I never started sage from seed. But from the above discription I would transplant into individual small pots early other wise the roots will get entangled. Basil transplants well but in my experience it is not has forgiving of root damage as tomatoes so be gentle and expect to loose some. I have grown basil for years this way as the wife idea of enought basil is a bussel or so of leaves every time she make pesto.
Celtic

[gardenhappy]

Yes,transpant now and give a good drink of light fish emulsion ,they will do fine,i transplant all of mine at this stage. I have never had a problem transplanting basil,borge does not like to be transplanted and i would wait for 4 leaves on that but otherwisw most herbs are very hardy.