VII. PREPARATION OF THE NURSERIES

A nursery is a well-dug and fertilized portion of land with good soil drainage and shade protection, to grow seeds into healthy seedlings, ready to be transplanted into a bed. In this chapter we cover how to get your nurseries going and sowing your seeds. The ‘transplanting’ chapter, following the ‘double digging’ chapter, will cover the next stages of the nursery, up to getting your seedlings into their double-dug bed.

Why use a nursery?

Lower the ‘die-off’ rate of plants in your beds - select healthy seedlings from the nursery to plant in your bed, rather than planting seeds directly which may not thrive or germinate at all
Use seedbeds as part of a garden plan, to grow crops in succession
Save water - seedbeds require much less water and time than do crop beds
Ensure strong stems: transplanting seedlings in the ground up to their first leaves ensures a strong stem for the plant, enabling plants to grow to their full potential
Protect small seedlings– nurseries offer a sheltered environment from bad weather and insect attack
Seedbeds benefit the growth of fibrous rooted vegetables
Contain insect and disease infestations: If seedlings get attacked by disease or pests, you can choose not to plant them into the growing beds so they won’t introduce the pest to other plants

Not all crops use the nurseries. Some plants, like beans of all kinds and carrots and corn, do best directly seed-planted into beds. Many others, like leafy vegetables, chives, and tomatoes, are best first planted in nurseries. Seed packets will indicate whether or not to direct seed-plant. Always make sure you have worked out the crop rotation schedules, and have a bed to plant your seedlings before you stock your nursery!

Different types of soil mixes:

Strong plant growth in these first nursery stages is very important to a plant’s future health.
There are different soil mixes for different growing situations. Consider the stage of plant growth and its environment: container, pot, or bed. The three main types of soil mixture are a ‘seed planting’ or ‘sowing’ mix, ‘first transplanting’ mix, and ‘potting’ mix.

1.Sowing (seed transplanting) mix: The initial sowing mix does not need so many nutrients. What’s essential to the sowing mix is good drainage, moisture holding, and textural qualities.
2.First transplanting mix: plants begin to need more nutrients approximately when they get their first leaves. At this time they are transplanted. We make this mix richer in nutrient content.
3.Potting mix: often used to grow trees or perennial plants. The plant is being grown in the container for a long period of time, so it requires a lot of nutrients. More manure, compost, fish meal, etc. can be added to help this problem.
4.Nursery bed: nursery beds do not have the same aeration problems that containers create, so they are easier to work with. One wheelbarrow manure or compost and 4 spades sand should be a good mix. Bone meal, fishmeal, lime can also be added if required. This mix should be put on at about 1 or 2 inches, or 2-5 cm covering the surface of the bed. It is then mixed with the top 3 or 4 inches, or 7-10cm. of the bed. If you mix the material any deeper, it will not be usable to the plant.

INGREDIENTS OF SOIL MIXES:

Material

Is a Source of:
Notes:
Compost

Balanced Nutrients, and Soil Structure: Aeration & Moisture
Can be low in nitrogen
Manure

Nitrogen
Must be aged or it will burn plants
Lime
Calcium
Raises soil PH, making it less acidic. Used in acidic soils.
Bone Meal

Phosphorus

Fish Meal

Nitrogen

Artificial Fertilizers

Balanced Nutrients
Often used in nurseries
Soil: loam, good garden soil or topsoil
Nutrients and Structure- Aeration
Bad soil causes problems. To get good topsoil, take a little from a bed each time you dig
Sand

Increases Drainage
Not good for moisture retention. Rivers are often the best source

How to make a soil mix:

There are different recipes for soil mixes. One set is below. Another follows it. Use the one that works best for you. Compost, soil and sand can be sifted through a ½ cm screen. By passing all the material through a sieve, we reduce the physical obstruction of larger clumps of soil and introduce air into it. The materials are then mixed thoroughly on any flat, convenient surface. A loose and aerated soil mix will reduce physical resistance to root growth and seed germination. As you mix the materials, you water to achieve good moisture.
Eventually you will be able to make a soil mix without having to count or measure out each ingredient.

SOWING MIX 1st TRANSPLANT MIX
5 parts of soil 5 parts of compost.
4 parts of compost. 4 parts of soil.
1-2 parts of sand 1 part manure (optional)
Handful bone meal (optional)
Creating the Nurseries:

There are two phases to nursery management: primary nursery and secondary nursery.

Primary Nursery
1.Select a piece of land (approximately 4 ft by 20 ft) – a shaded area close to a water source is best
2.Clear the weeds from the selected area and loosen the soil 1-ft. deep
3.Rake or shape the area into a raised bed or beds – provides better water infiltration and limits run-off due to excess rain or force of water at watering
4.Fertilize the 9 square meter bed with 3 wheelbarrows of a mixture of sharp river sand and old manure or compost at the rate of one wheelbarrow of manure/compost and 4 spadefuls of sharp river sand
5.Distribute the mixture at various places in the bed and spread it evenly, then mix it thoroughly into the top 3 inches of the soil. This kind of mixture provides the soil with good drainage and ample nutrients for growing seedlings in the nursery bed
6.Using a watering can or any other available water implement, water the bed and observe the rate of infiltration. If it sinks uniformly, then your mixture is perfect - if not add half again the amount of mixture of old manure or compost and sand to improve drainage
7.Spread the mixture all over the bed and work it into the upper 3˝ of the soil thoroughly mixing it with the soil. The bed will be raised a bit to limit run off. Rake until fine, then water well and again watch the rate of infiltration
8.Make shallow furrows and spread the seeds and cover with the soil about ¼ in. thick with the soil/compost mix
9.To provide cover or protection for the nursery bed:
a.At all corners of the bed put strong support sticks measuring 1.2 meters high, ideally forked sticks. Tie the sticks across from each corner to the other.
b.Then tie on smaller supports horizontally and lightly cover the top with grass, banana leaves, mats etc. or you can simply cover your nursery bed with some dry grass to provide moistness in the soil. This is okay when your nursery bed is situated near a large tree or someplace with good shade all day long.

Secondary Nursery:

Construction of flats:
Best size: 23 in. by 14 in by 3 in deep
Flats can be constructed with sticks banana stems, etc. A soda crate can also be used. The bottom slats should be strong and spaced ¼ ˝ apart allowing for drainage and aeration. The depth is the important factor. If the flat is too shallow, the plants roots will touch the bottom, resulting in slower growth and early, weak maturity. Jeavons calls it “premature senility”. To help prevent disease of the soil mixture, flats should be kept clean and dry between different sowings.

Preparing flat:
Lay down a ¼” layer of leaf mulch or straw o the bottom of the flat. This provides aeration and prevents loss of soil. A fine layer of crushed eggshells may be placed upon the straw for calcium loving plants (i.e. tomatoes, cabbage, and kale). Next mix the following:
-Top soil (about 2 spades full)
-Compost (about 5 spades full) *Compost should be very fine
-Sand (about 1 spade full) * If the water settles on top when you water, more sand is needed
(Some say the combination is 1/3 of each of these ingredients by weight)

Fill the flat with the moist soil mixture, tap down, slightly firm down edges and level flat with a long stick.

Sowing Your Seeds in the Primary Nursery:

Broadcast your seed evenly over the surface of soil. The size of seed and plant variety will determine the proper spacing. Many herb and flower seeds are very small, requiring careful sowing so that an over-abundance of seedlings doesn’t result. With the vegetables that we will be most frequently sowing, the average spacing is ¼- ½˝ between each seed. John Jeavons suggest placing of seeds at a distance so that seedlings leaves will barely touch when at transplanting stage. Close spacing helps encourage growth by creating a complete mini-climate.

Cover the seeds with a sowing soil mixture or sifted compost to a depth of ¼- ½ ˝. Newly planted seeds need adequate moisture, shade and air. Water your seeds at least twice a day for quick germination.
Water gently, careful not to miss the corners and edges. A simple watering can may be made by placing small, closely-spaced holes in the bottom of a tin, providing and even, gentle flow. The nursery should never be allowed to dry out completely. The proper amount of water is critical. Too much or little water can lead to death or disease (such as damping off). Finally, cover the area with light straw to help retain moisture.