Tree seedlings raising methods in a Forest Nursery using both soil and soilless growing media in a controlled environment. Traditional methods are used and compared with modern technology in raising healthy, vigorous seedlings for planting out in the field when they have reached the required nursery period. The traditional bed and box method where broadcat seed sowing is used is being replaced with spot seed sowing in polythene plots and planter flats which ultimately are being replaced by tissue culture.

1. SEEDLING RAISING METHODS
DAY 3

2. PLANT STOCK RAISED IN THE NURSERY
BALL ROOTED BARE ROOTED

3. FACTORS ON TYPE OF PLANT
STOCK
•CLIMATE
•FIELD CONDITIONS
•LABOUR AVAILABILTY
•ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
•PLANTING SUCCESS
•TENDING OPERATIONS REQUIRED

4. SEEDLING
RAISING METHODS
1. POLYTHENE SLEEVE/TUBE METHOD
2. BED & BOX METHOD/SWAZI METHOD
3. PLANTER FLAT METHOD
4. HYDROPONICS

5. POLYTHENE SLEEVE/POT
METHOD
a) CONTAINER
•MATERIAL USED
•OPEN BOTH
ENDS/OPEN ONE END
•CONTAINER SIZE

6. POLYTHENE SLEEVE/POT
METHOD
b) CONTAINER FILLING:
SOIL TYPE
•Species to be raised
•Location of soil supply
•Clay loam
•Soil sieving
•Soil mixing

7. POLYTHENE SLEEVE/POT
METHOD
b) CONTAINER FILLING
PROCESS
• PARTIAL FILLING
• CONSOLIDATION (plug)
• COMPLETE FILLING
( smooth, firm, filled, drainage holes)
AIDS:
• Soil funnel
• Moist soil
TARGET
500 – 1000/day
USE:
sowing/receive pricked out seedlings.

8. CONTAINER FILLING

9. POT LINING

10. POLYTHENE SLEEVE/POT
METHOD
c) SEED SOWING
PROCESS:
•Indentation to required seed depth
•Seed sown individually / in small
quantities
•Seed covered with soil
•Watering of seed

11. SEED SOWING

14. POLYTHENE SLEEVE/POT
METHOD
PLANTING
•At end of nursery period, seedlings ready to
be planted in the field.
•Polythene tube sliced open down one/two
sides using planting trowel.
•Seedling placed with ball of soil into
prepared planting hole.
•Discarded polythene material collected and
disposed by burning.

15. ADVANTAGES
• the planting season can be extended
• suited to use with all major commercial species
• Ball of soil holds more moisture in marginal areas
• Good undisturbed ball of soil around the roots
• Can quarantine diseased plants
• Easy to transport to field
• Easy tending operations
• Visible root : shoot ratio ( 1:2)
• Plants can survive for longer periods in the field
after planting without rain

16. DISADVANTAGES
•There are higher costs
•Root systems can be restricted or
distorted where constant care is not
taken or plants are kept in the nursery
for too long.
•The containers are not bio-degradable
which causes pollution if they are not
collected and destroyed.

17. BED & BOX / SWAZI BED METHOD
• Seedlings are produced in
raised beds and when
ready for planting out
they are transported to
the field in clumps carried
in boxes.
• This method is more
commonly used to raise
seedlings from seed
which is large enough to
handled individually, e.g.
Pine spp

18. BED & BOX METHOD/SWAZI
METHOD
BED CONSTRUCTION
• Beds of required dimensions are laid out in the
nursery by using bricks or planks as an edging to
contain the soil. ???
• Nursery terraces of surfaces should be cleared of
weeds, raked and firmed down and the edging
erected, depth of bed is usually around 10cm.
• Previously prepared and sieved nursery soil is
then brought in, each bed is filled to the required
depth and then raked carefully to level the
surface.

19. BED CONSTRUCTION

20. BED & BOX METHOD/SWAZI
METHOD
SEED SOWING/PRICKING OUT
• Spacing between plants spots is
normally 5cm x 5cm and this can
be marked out either a dibble
stick or more commonly by using
a sowing template.
• A sowing template consists of a
board of convenient size fitted
with handles on the upper
surface indentation is controlled
by length of peg.

23. BED & BOX METHOD/SWAZI METHOD

24. BED & BOX METHOD/SWAZI
METHOD
LIFTING AND PACKING
• Lifting: A spade or a flat-pronged fork is
inserted vertically at about 10 cm from the
plant. It is pushed deep enough to permit
lifting the plant with the entire root system.
• Packing: After grading (and possibly root
pruning), plants are packed. The roots have to
be well protected against drying. Sacking,
banana leaves, plastic bags with ventilation
holes or cans may be used. To preserve
moisture, the roots should be covered with
wet grass, leaves, sawdust or mosses, where
available.

27. BED & BOX METHOD/SWAZI
METHOD
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
•Large flat shovel
•Transport boxes
•Sowing template

28. ADVANTAGES
•With careful separation from the clump the
root system will be relatively undisturbed
with a ball of soil around the roots.
•costs are far lower as beds can be filled
rapidly and root pruning is far quicker.
•More plants occupy less area as growing
space is smaller this economise on nursery
space and requires less transport.
•Less soil is required per plant as unit volume
is less than with individuals container, this
saves on the overall amount of soil required
for the nursery programme.

29. DISADVANTAGES
•More moderate climatic conditions are
required for planting
•Workers required to be more skilled
•Isolation of diseased plants difficult
•there can be an excessive loss of soil.
•Specialised tools and boxes are required
which cannot be used for other nursery
raising methods.

30. PLANTER FLAT METHOD
•Planter flats are re-usable, rigid
polystyrene (Kaylite) trays of multiple
cavities.
•Each individual cavity in a planter flat
is an inverted, pyramid shaped cell
with square cross section and is open
ended.

31. CONTAINER

32. IMPORTANCE OF SHAPE
•It allows easy removal of the plants
•It ensures continuous air pruning
•It prevents root spiralling
•It makes filling easy
•

34. CONTAINER TREATMENT
DIP TANK
•Flats washed with water spray
•Dipped in mixture of 100l water, 25Kg copper
oxychloride and 40l PVA white paint for a few
seconds
•Leave to drip dry

35. TRAY FILLING
DECOMPOSED PINE BARK
•The bark is watered
•Tray is filled, levelled off and watered again

36. SEED SOWING
•Dibbler/spiking board used to make 5mm sowing
hole in the middle of each cavity
•Two seeds placed in each hole in first 3 lines and
one seed in following lines.
•Seeds covered loosely with pine bark and
watered thoroughly.

37. SOWING TEMPLATE

38. STACKING & DESTACKING
•Planter flats stacked one on top of the other
•Stacks covered with tent and left for 7-21 days.
•When seeds have germinated, trays removed
from stacks and placed on suspended wire beds.

40. WATERING
•Micro-jet system best.
•Done soon after tabling.
•Seedlings watered everyday for 30-45mins
twice/once per day.

41. FERTILIZING
•Pine bark poor in nutrients.
•Compound D applied in granular form at rate of
14g/tray per fortnight.
•Seedling leaves are brushed after fertilizer
application.

42. PRICKING OUT
•Carried out when seedlings reach
matchstick height or are 3-4cm height
before secondary roots develop.
•Its done for transplanting or to waste.
•Seedlings are watered thoroughly and
weeded before pricking out.
•J-rooting should be avoided when
transplanting.

44. ROOT PRUNING
•Air pruning
•Contact with the pesticide

45. PLANTING
•Trays well watered and transported to planting
site
•Seedlings held by first leaves and gently pulled
out of cavity
•The top of the plug is planted well below soil
level

46. ADVANTAGES
•Smaller nursery area
•Low labour input
•Faster and more predictable seedling
production
•Planter flats re-usable for several
seasons
•Soilless growing media can be used

47. •less raw material is required
•No root pruning
•Plants are light making planting alight
task and requiring less labour units
•Less and little weeding is done.
•No environmental disturbance as no
soil excavation is done.
•Reduces the burden/ eye sore caused
by dumps of pine bark

48. DISADVANTAGES
•Planter flats are fragile
•Need constant careful supervision
•Chemicals are expensive
•Watering equipment is expensive
•Not suitable for all areas

49. HYDROPONICS
Defn: The method of growing plants
without soil, using mineral nutrient
solutions in a water solvent.
•Terrestrial plants may be grown with
only their roots exposed to the mineral
solution, or the roots may be supported
by an inert medium, such as perlite or
gravel

51. GROWING MEDIA
•Inert soilless material is used i.e. it
can’t/won’t decay or breakdown quickly.
•The growing media is not used to
provide nutrients but for anchorage i.e.
to enable the roots to support the plant
weight and hold it upright.

52. Properties of the Growing
Media
•Inert
•Soilless
•Good water holding properties
•Permeable

53. MEDIA FOR SEED GERMINATION
Media for germination should have:
•High water holding capacity
•Good drainage
•Good aeration
Suitable Media for Germination:
•Mixture of peat moss & river sand (1:1)
•Shredded sphagnum moss
•Vermiculite and Pine bark mixture

54. Preparation of Mother Bed
•Prepare a 1m width x 10 m length bed.
•Line the bed with bricks/ wooden
planks.
•Add growing media to level with the
brick top.
•Water the bed.

55. GERMINATION
• Add seed to water in a watering can and use
mixture to broadcast the seed over mother
bed.
• Broadcast Compound C/D fertilizer over seed
at rate of 1Kg/square metre.
• Initially, water twice a day with can fitted with
fine rose, reduce to once/day after two weeks.
• Cover bed with nappy liner material at a height
of 0.5m.
• Weed as soon as weeds appear.
• Prick out after 1-2 months when seedlings
have 4 leaves.

56. TRAY FILLING
•Moisten the soilless growing media
evenly.
•Pour into clean tray.
•Compact the media by throwing onto
the ground once from a height of 0.3m.
•Level off growing media.
•Use sowing template/dibbler to mark
5mm sowing hole in the middle of each
cavity.

57. FLOAT BED PREPARATION
•Level the ground such that water will not
flow when watering.
•Lay down thick plastic for the dimension of
four tray width x 10 m length.
•Edge the bed with bricks/wooden planks. The
plastic should be loose but secure.
•Pour in water to fill the bed.
•Place the filled trays onto the float bed to
absorb water. Make sure there is no space for
algae growth.

58. • Build a rectangular frame using treated lumber.
The frame should be 1,2m wide by 10mlong.
• Line the frame with a 6mm polyethylene plastic
sheet to form a trough to contain the nutrient
solution. Be sure the site is level and free of any
debris, which could puncture the plastic liner.
• Fill the water garden with approximately 20
gallons of water. The water will fill the plastic
sheeting to the sides of the frame. Secure the
other end and side of the liner to the top edge of
the frame.
• • Continue filling the water garden with water to
a total depth of at least 20cm.

59. TRANSPLANTING
•Prick out seedlings from mother bed
into a small tin of water. Do not remove
the soilless media from around the
transplants.
•Transplant seedlings into submerged
tray using dibbler/refill/lollypop stick to
avoid J-rooting.
•Pack additional media around the root
ball to root collar level only.

61. FERTILIZING
- Recommended fertilizer programmed is as follows
Application period
– days after sowing
Fertilizer Rate mg n/L Amount
7 Floatfert 25 160 ml
14 Floatfert 50 320 ml
21 Floatfert 75 480 ml
4th
Application Ammonium nitrate 100 83 g
Application of fertilizer is done in three points of the bed, one first corner,
second middle and third corner of the bed

62. ROOT PRUNING
•Hydroponic Root System

63. ROOT PRUNING
•Lift trays occasionally and remove any roots
hanging down by hand.

64. WATERING
•Check for water quantity frequently.
•Top up every day in the morning.

65. DISEASES
•The common disease of the seedlings is
Pythium root rot.
•The symptom of the disease is the
dying of the seedlings with black roots.
•This is controlled with the following
chemicals, ACOMIL or REDOMILL.

66. HARDENING OFF
•When the seedlings are 35 cm to 40 cm tall, you
can then start hardening off and do the planting.
•Cut back the seedlings to 15-20 cm and stop
fertilizing.

67. TRANSPLANTS

68. ADVANTAGES
• Any plant seedlings can be grown as long as their
growth requirements are met.
• It uses only 1/20th of water compared to traditional
(soil based) methods.
• It provides a sterile environment for plant
production
• Seedlings grow two times faster. Nursery period is
reduced from 3 months to 2 months for Eucs.
• It needs 20% of less space in comparison to soil
based nurseries.

69. ADVANTAGES
• Involves less labour. Upkeep is also minimal.
• It’s simple to get complete control over nutrient
balance
• There are no soil setup and testing hassles.
• Seedlings grown through this technique are
healthy and have better nutritional value.
• Seedlings can be grown all year round.

70. DISADVANTAGES
• Initial set up cost of hydroponic system is high.
• It requires constant supervision.
• Water-based microorganism can be easily
introduced.
• Technical knowledge is required for growing plants
through hydroponics.
• Overgrown seedlings will damage the planter flats.