CARE AND

MAINTENANCE
IN THE NURSERY
SILVICULTURE 1
CARE AND MAINTENANCE IN THE NURSERY

FENCING- a fence should

be built around the nursery
to protect the planting stock
from destructive agencies.
The nature of possible
danger determines the kind
of fence.
PREPARATION OF SOIL- If
the area selected is covered with
second growth vegetation, the
usual procedure would be to cut
all trees, remove the roots, stones
and fallen logs, if any. This is
followed by the loosening of the
soil, breaking lumps of earth and
then raking it to even off the
surface.
CONSTRUCTION OF
BEDS- The seedbeds and
transplant beds should be
constructed on the best portion
of the nursery as regard soil,
exposure and accessibility.
Before the beds are prepared,
the soil should be plowed and
the surface leveled.
SOWING- Sowing depends upon the availability of seeds.
And the most ideal time would be at the beginning of the
rainy season. Usually, seeds are immediately sown after
collection because long-stored seeds in ordinary room
temperature lose their viability. The length of time the seed
germinate and develop into seedlings ready for transplanting
should also be considered. The two principal methods of
sowing seeds in nurseries are by broadcast and in drills.
WATERING-the amount of
water needed in the nursery
depends on the following:
Porosity of the soil, size of
the nursery, climatic
conditions, availability of
labor and nature of the
species. Sandy soil and a
long dry season would
require much water.
SHADING- Shading is essential
in nursery operation because it
affords protection from direct
sunshine and heat of the young
plants. Shading during the dry
season of climate type 1 in the
Philippines is necessary in nursery
management. There are two ways
of shading, the natural and
artificial.
MULCHING- Mulching
consists in placing chopped
cogon grass, rice straw, or
leaves on nursery beds. This is
especially useful if water supply
is lacking or watering is difficult
particularly in areas with long
dry seasons. In wet localities
however, mulching may reduce
aeration, favors damping off and
soil compaction.
Cogon grass chopped to lengths of 1-3 cm and spread over
the beds had been found very satisfactory particularly in
transplant beds and seed beds where fairly large-sized
seeds are sown. One important precaution in the use of
grasses as mulch is never use grasses that have ripe seeds.
WEEDING- from the nursery’s viewpoint, weed is a
plant that is out of place. So, weeding is necessary in
nursery operations. Important measure in reducing the
cost of weeding is to avoid the use of soil or animal
manure containing viable weed seeds. Hand tools like
trowel, sharp piece of iron and hoe eases weeding.
Weeding should be started as early as the leaves of the
favored plants can be definitely identified.
ROOT PRUNING- this is a
method of cutting the lower part
of the root system particularly the
taproot while still in seedbeds.
The principal objective is to
induce the formation of finely
branched lateral roots, short
taproot and stocky crown. For
this purpose, the most practical
method is to use sharp bladed
tools like spade and others.
PRICKING OUT [OR PRICKING OFF]-to a
gardener’s term, this method is applied to transplanting
of overcrowded seedlings in seed flats. It is the usual
practice to sow seeds of Benguet pine in seed flats or
boxes so thickly that the resulting stands of seedlings
are overcrowded. Pricking off some seedlings would
not only relieve overcrowding but also prevents
damping-off.
The small seedlings are lifted with a pointed small stick.
The main objective of lifting some seedlings is to relieve
overcrowding. The lifted seedlings are transplanted in
other sites thus leaving a wider space for growth to the
remaining seedlings.
DAMPING OFF- damping off is the disease of plants
caused by fungi which eventually cause wilting.