TRADITIONAL FOREST NURSERY

Introduction to Forest Nursery:

During the past century, the world’s land base has been subject to urban
expansion, poor management practices and increasing pressure to provide
resources for a growing population. As a result, tree seedling production has
become a fundamental tool for addressing reforestation, restoration and
conservation needs.
Considerable research into plant physiology and nursery practices has led to a
much greater understanding of seedling responses to environmental conditions,
nursery treatments and growing regimes over the past several decades. For
example, early nurseries had limited understanding about soil physical and
chemical properties, amending soils to achieve maximum seedling growth,
optimizing soil/media properties for seedling development.
In addition to our better understanding of seedlings and the growing
environment, nursery equipment have greatly enabled forest nurseries to
produce large volumes of high quality stocks. Now mechanical methods have
replaced the manual labour works in transplanting seedlings, lifting of planting
stocks, etc.

Additionally, most nurseries, small or large, carry out much of their weed
control via hand weeding. The basic concepts regarding density, fertility,
irrigation, pruning, grading, storage, handling and other seedling production
practices have always been considered in nursery management. Whether it is
1912 or 2012, the underlying driving force is based on the Target Seedling
Concept: “Targeting specific physiological and morphological characteristics
that can be quantitatively linked to out planting success”.
Because nursery production is expanding more and more to encompass a larger
variety of species. Until the past few decades, nursery production was primarily
focused on commercial/ industrial species for forest regeneration or
horticultural cultivars for urban landscaping and gardens.
The rise of the environmental movement in the late 20th century, the explosion
of invasive non-native plants over the past century and increased land
degradation has led to much attention being directed towards propagation and
restoration of native or indigenous plants.
Forestry as a sector plays a vital role in the socio-economic and rural
development of a country apart from its role in maintaining ecological stability
particularly in a developing country like India. Forests are a traditional source

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of a multitude of products particularly with regard to fuelwood, fodder, small
and constructional timber and have sustained large masses of population. The
vast potential of forests to generate employment especially in rural areas,
thereby contributing to rural incomes and poverty alleviation has remained
unutilized.
The country's forests are under tremendous pressure due to the indiscriminate
removal of timber, fuelwood, fodder and other forest produce.
Though there are various afforestation and plantation programmes being
implemented by the State Forest Departments, Forest based industries, NGOs,
etc., availability of quality planting material well in time and in close proximity
to areas where afforestation is to be taken up remains a major constraint in
taking up large scale afforestation of wastelands, private lands, etc.

Forest Nursery :-
A production unit that grows planting stock (seedlings and saplings) of forest
trees and shrubs.

OR

An area or place where forest seedlings are grown. There are forest, forest-
improvement, and landscape nurseries.

Nursery is defined as an area where plants are raised for eventual planting out.
Tree seeds germinate and trees grow readily under natural conditions.
These delicate young seedlings and young trees are exposed to adverse dry
season conditions and intense competition from other plants in natural forests or
plantations. Forest nurseries can provide optimum care and attention to
seedlings during their critical juvenile stage, resulting in the production of
healthy, vigorous seedlings. In many cases, successful reforestation requires
nursery grown seedlings, since degraded areas have un-favourable conditions
making natural vegetation or direct seeding not feasible.
Forest nursery is a managed area, designated to produce tree seedlings grown
under favourable conditions until they are ready for planting. It can be an
informal, small-scale arrangement or a large commercial enterprise. Nurseries
vary in size, facilities (supplies, tools, equipments, etc.), types of seedlings
produced and nursery operations. They also differ significantly in quality and
quantity of planting stocks produced.
Nurseries may often provide income generating opportunities for the operators
and enhance social capital and technical capacity and leadership skills of
communities. Smallholder tree nurseries also serve as important training and
research ground for many smallholder farmers.

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Forest nurseries are defined in a numerous way:-
i. An area or place where forest seedlings are grown.
ii. An area where tree seedlings and plants are raised for eventual planting out.
iii. An area where trees, shrubs, or plants are grown for transplanting, for use as
stocks for budding and grafting.
iv. A production unit that grows planting stock (seedlings and saplings) of forest
trees and shrubs.
v. A plot of land where young trees can be raised under more or less controlled
conditions.
Forestry projects and large scale afforestation and reforestation programmes
spawn the establishment of self-help and self-sustaining local nurseries, which
remain functional even after project termination. These local nurseries may be
linked in a network to meet project, community or market needs. Government
and non-government agencies often provide modest support to enhance the
development of local nurseries, in recognition of the spontaneous growth of
local nurseries.
These efforts strengthen local livelihood development and sustain public
reforestation initiatives. In many areas, where nursery development has
flourished, farmers also developed keen interests in collecting and propagating
diverse species, including indigenous trees. Such forest nurseries have become
rich repositories of tree biodiversity.

Need for nurseries :-

There are various plantation programs being implemented by the State Forest
Departments, Forest based industries, NGOs, etc. But the availability of quality
planting material is not adequate. The various needs for the large scale nursery
establishment are listed below:-

 To meet the afforestation needs for increasing the forest and vegetative
cover.

 To meet the demands of reforestation works

 To meet the growing demands of industrial wood through captive

plantations.

 To provide seedlings for avenue, railway and road side plantings

 To meet the farm as well as social forestry needs.

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 IMPORTANCE AND OBJECTIVE :-

Nursery occupies an important place in artificial regeneration. The increase in

artificial regeneration work in general and the efforts to raise fast-growing,
short-rotation crops involving introduction of exotics in particular, have further
increased its importance. The following objects for which nursery is generally
made, clearly bring out its importance:

I. Some important species do not seed every year. Plantations of these

species can be raised annually only by collecting all available seed in
years of moderate and good seed years and sowing it in nursery to raise
seedlings to be planted out in various years.

II. Some species grow very slowly and if the seed of these species is sown
directly in plantation, the seedlings are most likely to be swamped by
weeds and killed. Therefore, slow-growing species are generally raised in
nursery and planted out only when the seedlings are not liable to be
damaged by weeds.

III. Success of roadside avenue plantations, depends largely on planting tall

and sturdy plants which can only be obtained from a nursery.

IV. Plantations of some species when raised by direct sowing are not so
successful as when raised by planting. In such cases, nursery is an
essential part of artificial regeneration of those species.

V. The best method of introduction of exotics, viz., tropical pines, poplars,

Eucalyptus, etc., is only by planting and therefore nursery is very
essential for them. (vi) Planting of nursery-grown plants is the surest
method of artificially regenerating poor and barren sites.

VI. Casualities in plantations have to be replaced either in the year of

formation or in the next year. Sowings done in the gaps are liable to be
unsuccessful as a result of sup pression from weeds and can not catch up
the plants from original sowing. Therefore, replacement of casualities is
always done by planting nursery-grown plants or stumps and so nursery
is very essential for casuality replacements.
Classification of Forest Nurseries:-
A. On the Basis of Area Size:
Based on size of area, forest nurseries are classified into:

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i. Small Nursery:
Nurseries with an area of less than 3 ha
ii. Medium Nursery:
Nurseries with an area of 3-10 ha
iii. Large Nursery:
Nurseries with an area of more than 10 ha

B. On the Basis of Irrigation Facility:

Based on the water availability, forest nurseries are classified into:
i. Dry Nursery:
It is a nursery that is maintained without any irrigation or other artificial
watering.
ii. Wet Nursery:
It is a nursery that is maintained by irrigation or other artificial watering during
the dry periods.

C. On the Basis of Duration of the Use:

Based on the duration of their use, forest nurseries are classified into:
i. Temporary Nursery:
It is a nursery that is maintained for supplying stock for a short period after
which it is abandoned. Normally, it is constructed in the plantation area and
usually small in size. It is suitable for hilly regions.
ii. Permanent Nursery:
It is a nursery that is maintained for supplying nursery plants for a long time on
a permanent basis. It is intended to meet the requirements of one or more ranges
and it is relatively larger in extent.

Nursery Site Selection:

The selection of an appropriate nursery site is the most important decision

affecting the efficient production of good quality plants.

The following are some of the technical factors which need to be considered
while setting a nursery:

i. Water Supply: In order to have the good irrigation facilities, it should be

situated near or slightly below the source of adequate water supply. Reliable

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and adequate water supply is essential. Water source should be near and at the
higher level than nursery site. Water should be available throughout the year.

ii. Availability of Suitable Soil: For raising seedlings in polythene bag (tube),
soil of the actual nursery itself is not important. There should be suitable source
of soil preferably forest topsoil and sand within easy reach of the nursery.
Clayey soils should not be selected as their aeration and drainage is poor and
they are liable to crack during summer.

The symbiotic organism (Mycorrhiza and Rhizobium) should be present in soil

because most of the trees grow best if their roots are associated with certain
symbionts, which help in their nutrition. Mostly these organisms are found
naturally but in some cases artificial inoculation are needed.

iii. Access: Nursery should be situated as centrally as possible with reference to

the area to be planted. It should preferably be near residence area for close and
regular supervision. Nursery should be near to the plantation site to facilitate
easy transportation of seedlings and access road should be usable at all seasons
of year.

iv. Aspect: Slope with South aspect is much warmer and chosen for hill
nursery at high elevation while in low elevation north facing slope is chosen.

v. Slope: The ideal slope is about 5 degree which is steep enough to allow
proper drainage. Complete flat land should be avoided; it is likely to become
water logged during monsoon rains. Steeper slopes will have to be terraced and
very steep slopes should be avoided as it may be difficult to make a nursery bed
and path on each side to allow access to the beds.

vi. Exposure to Frost, Strong Winds and Flooding:At high altitudes, sites
which are particularly liable to frost damage should be avoided. Sites exposed
to strong winds and with danger of flooding or landslides should be avoided.

vii. Labour Availability: Labour should be available without difficulty

preferably near a village so that labourers need not walk much distance for
work.

viii. Availability of Land: There should be enough land to raise the number of
seedlings needed and if possible room for expansion. Legal enquiries should be
made about the legal ownership of the land.

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Layout of nursery :-

After demarcation, nursery should be divided into rectangular blocks by

permanent paths, about 1.8m wide. These blocks are further divided by paths
0.9 m wide into smaller blocks which are subdivided into rectangular nursery
beds by paths 0.5 m wide. While laying out a nursery, location of irrigation
channels should also be kept in view so that they run along paths. In the hills,
nursery beds are made after terracing the area. The width of terraces should be
sufficient to accommodate at least one bed in width and paths on both sides of
it. It should thus be at least 2 m wide. The beds should be laid out with their
lengths east to west so that they can be shaded against frost and sun without
difficulty.

In the nurseries made for extensive mechanized plantations, there should be

provision for wide roads on which tractors with trailors can ply. Thus each
nursery bed should have a tractor road on one side of its length and an irrigation
channel on the other. In other words, there should be a tractor road after every
two beds so that polythene bag plants can be loaded from the bed directly on the
trailor without any difficulty.

A perfect master plan is required otherwise improper layout plan will cause
considerable anxiety to nursery manager in future. The nursery lay out should
be compact and as far as possible, it should be in rectangular or square shape to
minimize the length of boundary for fencing and watch and ward point of view.
For setting up of a commercial nursery provision of wind break/ shelter must be
done all along the boundary not only to protect against hot wind and wild life
but also to modify the micro-climatic situations.

The nursery should be connected by main road for better approach and disposal
of produce. There should be proper provision for road and path, irrigation
channels, mother beds, seedling area, growing structure, store, soil and manure ,
office, fence etc. A nursery is usually arranged in a series of beds with pathway
between them.

An open area is needed at one end, where work such as sieving of sand filling of
containers can be done. Usually & room/shelter is required for staff and the
watchman, and where equipment can be securely stored

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Levant should be in a way that enables operations to flow logically through the
nursery so as to save labour and time. Roads and paths within the nursery
should be carefully planned. The nursery facilities should he kept.

Layout of nursery
 Mother bed
 Seedling area
 Inspection path
 Working area
 Bore well
 Soil and manure
 Fence
 Road

Significance of Forest Nursery:

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Good nursery operations incorporate the selection of the best quality seeds and
seedlings, thus initiating tree improvement. Forest nurseries are advantageous in
propagating recalcitrant seeds, dormant seeds and tree species with irregular
flowering. Nurseries are also good venues for vegetative propagation
operations. Some important species do not need seed every year.
Plantation of these species can be raised annually only by collecting all
available seed in years and sowing it in nursery to raise seedlings to be planted
out in various years. Some species grow very slowly and if the seed of these
species is sown directly in plantation, the seedlings are most likely to be
swamped by weeds and killed. Therefore, slow growing species are generally
raised in nursery and planted only when the seedlings are not liable to be
damaged by weeds.
Success of roadside avenue plantations depends largely on planting tall and
sturdy plants which can only be obtained from nursery. Plantations of some
species when raised by direct sowing are not so successful as when raised by
planting. In such cases, nursery is an essential part of artificial regeneration of
those species.
The best method of introduction of exotics, viz. tropical pines, poplars,
eucalyptus, etc. is only by planting and therefore nursery is very essential for
them. Planting of nursery-grown plants is surest method of artificially
regenerating poor and barren sites. Causalities in plantations have to be replaced
either in the year of formation or in the next year.
Sowing done in the gaps are liable to be unsuccessful as a result of suppression
from weeds and cannot catch up the plants from original sowing. Therefore,
replacement of causalities is always done by planting nursery-grown plants or
stumps and so nursery is very essential for causality replacement.
Seedling Quality:
The end user and the environmental conditions at the site where the seedlings
will be planted determine what kind of seedling is needed. A researcher will
require planning stock raised under uniform conditions to ensure that the
research results are not confounded by the status of the seedlings. On the other
hand, farmers will require seedlings that can survive under hard, dry and
nutrient-deficient conditions.
The good looking seedling at the nursery is worthless if it does not survive and
grow after planting out. Targeting seedling production to the anticipated field
site is important in producing strong healthy seedlings.
Seedlings need to be hardened off and gradually prepared for real-life harsh
conditions by withholding water from time to time after they have developed a

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strong and healthy root system. Insufficient care in the nursery leads to weak
and retarded plants with small root systems that will not survive in a harsh
environment.
Quality seedlings produced for different sites may look different from each
other but they all have one thing in common: a well-developed root system with
many root tips from which new roots can quickly develop. In areas with adverse
environments such as dry, flooded, saline or nutrient-deficient sites, only well-
developed plants have a good chance of survival. Seedlings with deeper root
system are preferred for dry areas and larger plants are preferred for weedy sites
so that they can outgrow weeds quickly. Many studies have proved that field
survival and productivity are related to the quality of the seedling used.
Seedling quality depends on the following parameters:
i. The ability of plant to produce new roots quickly
ii. The speed with which seedlings get anchored in the ground and start
assimilating and growing after planting out.
iii. A well-developed root system.
iv. Sun-adapted foliage.
v. A large root collar diameter
vi. A high root: shoot ratio
vii. Good carbohydrate reserves
viii. An optimum mineral nutrition content.
ix. The establishment of adequate mycorrhizal or Rhizobium infection
Nursery Planning and Management:
Quality seedling production depends on a sound understanding and
implementation of the key principles of nursery planning and management. As
with the operation of any forest nursery, planning is essential for a successful
and productive nursery. Factors to be taken into account are efficient use of
inputs and resources, identifying problems and potential solutions, monitoring
progress and working towards nursery objectives.
Nursery plans vary in detail and in implementation. Nursery plan may be formal
written documents or a list of informal management guidelines. Generally,
project and group nurseries engage in participatory planning, working with
stakeholders and members.

SOILS AND POT MIXTURES FOR NURSERIES

It is very important to use a good soil in forest nurseries. This is important for
seed trays, seed beds and poly pots.

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A good soil for nurseries should neither have too much clay in it nor too much
sand.
If there is too much clay the soil will be difficult to water, water will take a long
time to enter the soil. However, if a clayey soil gets waterlogged it will also take
a long time to drain dry.
If there is too much sand in the soil it will not hold enough water for the
seedlings to grow properly and it will get too hot in strong sun.
A good soil for nurseries is the correct mixture of sand, clay and organic matter.
Top soil from a forest is usually a good soil.
To see if a soil is good try and roll it into a pencil sized roll. (The soil should be
damp but not wet.)
If it falls to pieces before you can roll it, it has too much sand in it.
If you can bend it into a semicircle without breaking it then there is too much
clay in the soil.

FOREST TOP SOIL

You can make a poor soil better by mixing in different amounts of sand and
compost with forest top soil.

i. Sand:- Sand can be collected from river banks.

Dig out the sand and pass it through a fine sieve.
If the sand has a lot of fine grit in it, it should be washed 3 to 4 times
in several times its own amount of water. Pour away the dirty water
each time.
ii. Compost:- Compost for nurseries must be very well rotted otherwise
it will use up the goodness in the soil and may cause problems with
fungi, insects and weeds.If the compost rots well it will heat up and
kill any fungi, insects or weed seeds in it.
Any type of vegetable matter can be used to make compost:
Weeds from the nursery or fields, forest litter, animal bedding,crop
residues, kitchen waste Green material rots faster than dried matter
and larger pieces should be chopped up into 10–15 cm pieces so that
they rot faster. It is best to make compost in a heap rather than in a pit
because in the monsoon pits can fill with water and if the compost gets
too wet it will not rot.
iii. Mixing soil :- If the soil for the nursery has too much sand in it or is
infertile adding 1 part of well rotted, sieved compost to every 3 or 4
parts of soil will improve it. If there is too much clay in the soil, but it

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 is fertile enough, then add 1 or 2 parts of clean, seived sand to every 3
or 4 parts of soil.

Time of sowing
If possible seed should be sown so that seedlings are a good size to be planted
out at the beginning of the monsoon. To do this the time of seed sowing has to
be worked out carefully. Time must be allowed for germination and growth.
This will be different for different species and for different nerseries. It is
essential to keep records of sowing time, germination and growth for all species
in the nursery so that you can work out the best time to sow to get large seedling
for the beginning of the monsoon.

SOWING SEED :-
Tree seed can be sown directly into polypots, or can be sown into seedbeds and
can be pricked out into poly pots later. Large seed that can easily be handled

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one at a time or seed that germinates well can be sown directly into polypots.
Direct sowing into polypots avoids the damage to roots or the chance of
seedlings dying if they are pricked-out badly. However, if the seed germinates
poorly space is wasted with empty polypots in the nursery beds. Seed beds or
seed trays should be used when seed viability is low or when seed is small or it
takes a long time to germinate.
.

1. POLYPOTS
Large, easily handled seed or seed you know has a high viability can be sown
directly into polypots. Species that are usually sown into polypots include
acacias, Tamarind, amla, pines, siris and Bauhinia variegate, Banjh, Bhimal .

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Polypots should be filled to within 1 cm of the top at least a week before they
are to be sown and the soil in them kept moist.
The polypots should be well watered the evening before the seed is to be sown
and lightly watered again just before the seed is sown.

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Push the seed into the soil to no more than half a centimetre deep.
Alternatively, first make a hole with a small stick and drop the seed into it.

High germination seed.

Low germination seed.

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 Normal sowing

To make sure that at least one seedling grows in each polypot, two or more
seeds are usually sown in each pot. If you know germination is very good (more
than 8 out of 10 seeds germinate) then in half of the polypots sow 1 seed and in
the other half sow 2.
If germination is very low (less than 6 out of every 10 seeds germinate)
then sow 3 seeds in every polypot.
Otherwise sow 2 seeds in each polypot.

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After sowing, the polypots should be filled to the top with washed, seived sand.
After filling the polypots a mulch of straw should be placed over them or shades
put up over them to protect against heavy rain and hot sun. They should also be
watered again.
Check regularly to see if the seed is germinating. Once germination starts
remove the mulch, if it was used

After germinating some polypots may have 2 or more seedlings whilst others
may be empty:

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‘Extra’ seedlings will have to be pricked-out into the empty polypots. If there
are more than enough seedlings to fill all the empty polypots do not leave more
than 1 in any of the polypots.
If 2 or more seedlings are left to grow in a single polypot they will both become
weak and small and neither of them will be any good for planting.
Pull up, cut or break off the extra seedlings as soon as possible to allow the one
that is left to grow on more healthily.

PREPARATION OF SEED BEDS

Beds are of two types:

1) Sunken Beds                       2) Raised Beds
These types are considered according to purpose. Their orientation should be
towards the sun so that sunlight should be available for photosynthesis.
The best size is 1m × 12m. Length can be increased or decreased, width cannot
be increased because it creates a problem in weeding and hoeing.

Seed beds should be built in a part of the nursery that is well drained and which
is not shaded. They should be no wider than 1m so that the naike can work in
them easily. Mark the edge of the seed-bed out with string and sticks . Dig a
trench around the outside of the string markers about 5–10cm deep.

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Set large flat stones into the trench so that they stand at least 15cm above
ground level. Put a 5cm layer of coarse gravel or stones in the bottom of the bed
for drainage, and compact it. Then 2–3cm of seived forest top soil on top of the
gravel, and compact again. Finally fill the bed to within 2cm of the top with a
mix of half seived sand and half seived forest top soil, and compact this layer as
well.
SOWING IN SEED BEDS
i. Before sowing the seed make sure the surface of the bed is perfectly
level.
ii. If it is not flat water may form puddles on the bed and seed would be
washed away or covered too deeply by soil. Water the bed lightly .

PRICKING-OUT
i. Pricking-out must be done very carefully to ensure that the
seedlings are not damaged.
ii. It is best done shortly after germination when the seedlings are
only 2–4cm tall, when they have only 3 or 4 true leaves and a small
root system. When seedlings are this small it is easy to lift them out
without damaging them.
iii. Prick-out seedlings on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon so that
they don't dry out in the hot sun.
iv. The day before pricking-out water well the polypots into which the
seedlings are going to be transplanted.
v. Also make sure that shades are erected over the beds. Remove the
seedlings by inserting a small, flat stick beneath them and gently
lever them out.

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 vi. Hold the seedlings by the leaves only and never by the stalk which
is very easily damaged.
vii. Only take as many seedlings as you can plant out in about 15
minutes because they dry out very quickly. To stop them from
drying out put the seedlings in a tray of water and keep them
shaded all the time. Make a hole with a stick about the size of a
pencil in the middle of the polypot and just a little deeper than the
roots of the seedling.Carefully lower the seedling into the hole.
Make sure that you do not bend the roots.
viii. For the next few days lightly water the polypots 2 or 3 times each
day to keep them slightly moist.

SHADING

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 Germinating seed and recently transplanted seedlings need protection
from hot sun, heavy rain and hard frost. Therefore some method of shading beds
in nurseries is essential.Shading reduces the temperature of the soil and the
amount of water lost by seedlings.
However if seedlings are left under shade all the time they grow too tall, too
weak and yellow.It is important, therefore, only to shade seedlings when shade
is needed.Shades are also used to protect against frost, rain and sun.
To protect against frost ‘shades’ must be put up a few centimetres above the
tops of the seedlings during the night when the frosts are likely. They should be
taken off during the day time.
It is best to make the long side of the bed that faces north higher than the
southern side. This not only lets water drain off the shades but also protects the
beds against the sun when it's low in the sky during winter. They should be wide
enough so that water does not drip off the edges onto the beds or polypots
beneath.

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Germinating seed and seedlings need different types of shade at different times.

Ordinary shade Waterproof shade

SPACING
Seedlings which are growing too closely together compete with each
other. When in polypots they compete for light, and in beds they compete for,
nutrients and moisture as well. Just like in a field of maize, seedlings that are
too close together will grow to be thin and weak. When seedlings like this are
planted out they will be damaged by the wind and by hot sun.

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How soon competition starts between seedlings depends on the species grown,
the time of year, the size of the pot they are growing in and many other factors.
There is no fixed time at which you should deal with it.When competition is
first noticed - when the leaves of some seedlings are growing over smaller ones
next to them - the seedlings should be respaced.

Make sure that the larger seedlings are placed together in one part of the bed
and smaller ones together in another part. The larger seedlings may need more
space so two lines of separating polypots or sticks can be used.Leaves should
not overlap with seedlings in the next row.
If seedlings are grown in larger polypots they grow to be bigger, more quickly
than those in small pots. Farmers often ask for larger seedlings, especially of
fodder trees, to plant on their own land because they survive better and grow
more quickly. So, if larger 100 × 175 mm (4 × 7 inch) polypots are available,
use them.
ROOT PRUNING
If seedlings are left alone to grow, their roots very quickly grow through
the drainage holes in the polypots and into the soil of the nursery.
If the roots have grown too far into the ground, when the seedlings are
lifted out for planting the roots will break. The seedlings will suffer shock and
will not grow well after planting.
It is, therefore, very important that the roots of seedlings in polypots are
root pruned regularly.
Root pruning can also be used to change the way the seedlings in are
growing.

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 For instance if seedlings are growing too quickly and will be too large for
the polypots by the time they are needed for planting, root pruning can be used
to slow their growth.
Root pruning also makes more smaller roots to grow within the soil in the
polypots and makes the stem of the seedling at soil level grow thicker and
harder. All these make the seedling better able to survive and grow after
planting out. To prepare seedlings for planting out in this way root prune them 1
or 2 months before they will be distributed.
When seedlings need to be root pruned is not fixed. It depends on the
species, how fast they are growing and how they are being managed.

To see if seedlings need root pruning try lifting polypots from various parts of
the standbed. If they are difficult to lift, because the roots have grown down into
the soil, they need root pruning.
Root pruning should be done on a cloudy day or late in the day.
If root pruning is done regularly then the roots will be small and lifting them up
will be enough to break them.

WATERING

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 There is no fixed time when watering must be done. The amount of water
needed by seedlings depends on the species, the weather, the soil, the age of the
seedlings and how they are being managed.
Tree seedlings are just like crop or vegetable seedlings. If you understand
the ideas behind how much water they need you will learn quickly by
experience.
Seedlings that don't have enough water wilt and don't grow to be big
enough. However slight wilting during the hottest part of the day is not a
problem.
Seedlings that are getting too much water become yellowish and will be
too fleshy, soft and leafy.
Soil in seedbeds or in polypots with recently pricked-out seedlings must
be kept moist but not soaked.

The naike must check the soil in beds and polypots to see if they need watering.
Check to see if the soil is moist to about 15–20cm deep. If it is dry then it needs
watering.
Keep the beds free of weeds and crusted soil which both slow down water
entering the soil.
A few weeks before the seedlings are to be distributed start to cut down
gradually on the amount of water the seedlings are given to harden them and
prepare them for planting out.

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PROPAGATION OF TREES FROM CUTTINGS
Taking cuttings from a tree allows you to multiply up a particular tree
that has good qualities that you want, such as a high yield of fodder, or fruit, or
good timber or which grows quickly.
It also allows you to propagate trees when it is difficult to get seed
because some species like kabro are always lopped before the seed is ripe or the
fruit is taken to eat or sell.
The easiest and cheapest type of cutting is the hard wood cutting.

HARDWOOD CUTTINGS
Hardwood cuttings should be taken from woody branches which have
grown through only one season.
Older material should not be used because it doesn't grow new roots as
well as the younger branches.
Branches should be taken from the lower crown near to, but not from, the
main stem.Also do not use branches which are damaged or diseased.
Cuttings should be taken between January and April just before the buds
start to grow.The cuttings should be about 15 – 25 cm long and 10 – 20 mm in
diameter.
They should have at least 2 bud scars and preferably 3 or 4.

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 Cut the top of the cutting straight across about 2cm above the top bud and
at an angle just below the bottom bud so that you can tell which way to set it
into the ground. Always use a sharp blade to take cuttings so that you don't split
or crush them. If the cut isn't clean they will not grow new shoots or roots as
readily.
Remove all the side branches and leaves from the cuttings. (Some species
set roots better if a single leaf is retained. If the leaf is large cut it back to ⅓ of
its size)
Cuttings should be taken, prepared and set into the nursery bed all in one day so
that they don't dry out.
Cuttings should be set into well drained soil. A good mixture is half
sieved sand and half forest top soil.
Cuttings can be put in previously filled large polypots, 100 × 175 mm (4
× 7 inch) or larger, which have had the bottom two corners cut off to allow good
drainage.
Or they can be set in 30 cm deep nursery beds filled with the same soil
mixture. If beds are used the cuttings should be set at 30 × 30 cm spacings.

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Water the polypots or the bed immediately, put shades up over them and keep
them moist.
Shoots tend to come first from cuttings but the shades must be kept over them
until good roots have grown some time later.
Some trees such as seto and malo chuletro take from cuttings very easily and
they can be planted out directly into the ground at the beginning of the
monsoon.
These cuttings are usually larger than the ones used in the nursery and are
up to 2 m long. Many farmers use this type of cutting, called a TRUNCHEON,
for their own planting on their land.
They leave a good tree to the end of the dry season, lop it for fodder and
at the same time plant the truncheons on their land.

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STOOL BEDS
To provide a continuous supply of cuttings in the nursery STOOL BEDS
of desirable species can be set up.
First dig the ground to a depth of 30cm.
Dig in a doko of compost for every 5 – 10 square meters of bed.
Plant seedlings of the species you want to take cuttings from, about 20 –
50 of each species, in pits at 100 × 50 cm spacings. Keep the stool bed free of
weeds at all times.

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