I would think this is decided by the size of the root ball. I start seeds in fiber cones (from Park Seeds) and then put them in 8 oz styrofoam cups (picnic supplies at the supermarket), and finally 4 inch pots. I don't think they should (or need to) venture into the "real world" until roots are showing around the perimeter of the 4" pot. >Hi all -- > >I'm getting ready to transplant about 70 plants to my garden this weekend, >but I'm not quite sure if they are ready. I have been hardening them for >about 10 days/nights now, and the outdoor temp and soil temp are close to >where it needs to be, but I'm afraid they are still a bit small. I have done >a lot of reading on this, but nothing seems to state what a safe size would >be for transplanting. This will be the first time that I'm planting my own >"from the seed" peppers, so I don't have the luxury of past experience with >this. Anyway -- to give you an idea of the size -- they all have 4-5 >established leaves, with some leaves the size of a quarter. > >Any advice would be great!