PRACTICES AND OPERATIONS IN A NURSERY

The nursery is a facility where planting materials are grown, cared and
maintained until the propagules are ready to be transferred to a
permanent site for commercial growing.The common practices or
operations in a nursery include the following:
1. Preparation, use and maintenance of germination or rooting beds to
be used only for germinating seeds or rooting of cuttings
2. Potting or the transfer of young seedlings to individual containers like
thick black plastic bags in various sizes. The size of the plastic bag varies
with the size of the seed; black plastic bags for atis (sugar apple) are
smaller compared to the ones to be used for coconut or rambutan. This
practice provides an advantage of giving the seedling the vigor and the
condition for robust root ramification and development
3. Care and maintenance of seedlings ready for transplanting. Normally
seedlings are ready for transplanting when they have attained around
30 cm in height and at least 3-4 mature leaves but this varies with
species and variety. For specific crops, the basis is age in months. They
are as follows:
a. Papaya - 2 to3
b. Jackfruit and guyabano - 4 to6
c. Guava - 3 to 4
d. Lanzones – 6 to 8
e. Cacao – 3 to 6
f. Coffee – 6 to 10
g. Coconut – 6 to 9
4. Management of light (solar energy in nursery)
Some form of shade is needed by some seedlings while in the early
stages of growth and development and also those that are in the
rooting beds. Crops that can be exposed to direct sunlight after
transferring to polybags or thick plastic bags include mango, coconuts
and citrus. Those crops that need 25 to 50% partial shade include
coffee, cacao, rambutan and lanzones.