What is a Garden Nursery?
A garden nursery is a place where seedlings are produced.
Reasons for Sowing Seeds in a Nursery
Seeds are sown in a nursery for two reasons:-
1. The seeds are very small.
2. The seedlings are very delicate.
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The Nursery Shed
The nursery shed should have:-
- a concrete floor
- a clear plastic sheet covering the roof to shelter seedlings from heavy rainfall but will allow light to enter the nursery
- hedges or trees around the nursery to protect young plants from strong drying winds
- stands for placing seed boxes to keep them above the ground
- a regular supply of water
- tools and equipment and a supply of potting soil
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Potting or Nursery Soil (Soil used to raise seedlings) should:-
- be free from weeds, pests, and plant diseases
- be well aerated
- drain readily
- have adequate nutrients
Good potting soil is made from a mixture of:-
1. Loam
2. Organic matter
3. Sand
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The Seedbox or Seed Tray
Wooden seed boxes are typically 35cm x 25cm x 7cm and have slits at the base for drainage.
Styrofoam and plastic seed trays are also available and can be used instead of wooden seed boxes. They come with separate compartments for sowing seeds and have small drainage holes at the base.
The Seedbox as well as the piece of wood that is being used for firming the potting soil.
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| Plastic Seed Tray |
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Seedbox Preparation
A well-prepared seed box contains adequate potting soil that is well-drained and aerated.
Steps:
- A thin layer of straw or a piece of nylon mesh should be placed at the bottom of the seed box to cover slits and prevent potting soil from falling through
- Place a 3-4cm layer of moistened potting soil into the seed box.
- Remove excess potting soil using a piece of wood.
- Firm the potting soil to a depth of 1-1.5cm from the top of the box.
Moistening the potting soil with water
Placing the moistened potting soil into the wooden seedbox
Potting soil firmed to a depth of 1.5cm from the top of the seedbox
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Sowing Seeds
Steps
- Sow seeds either in long rows or by broadcasting over the entire soil surface
- Lightly cover seeds with a layer of finely sifted nursery soil.
- Gently water the seeds.
- Label the boxes with the name of the seeds and the date of sowing.
- Cover seedboxes and place them in a cool sheltered area to await germination.
- Water occasionally before germination to prevent soil from drying out.
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| Sowing seeds in long straight rows in the seedbox. |
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| Covering seedlings with nursery soil. |
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Germination
Germination should take 6-8 days but differs depending on the species of seed sown. When 70-75% of the seeds have germinated the covering is removed and seedlings are exposed to light.
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| Germination of seeds |
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Post-germination Care
Thinning out
Seedlings are thinned out at the 2-3 leaf stage
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| Thinning out seedlings |
Aftercare
- Watering
- Soil aeration
- Weed control
- Application of fertilizers
- Pest and disease control
Hardening off
Seedlings are hardened off about 1 week before transplanting into the field by:
- less frequent watering
- allowing the soil to dry out
- exposing seedlings to sun and rainfall
Transplanting
After hardening off, young plants are taken out of seed boxes, and pots or lifted from nursery beds and replanted in the field at their correct spacing.
