By Umar Nsubuga
Abbey Kaibbala, a resident of Wobulenzi town, Luwero district and a dealer in nursery bed seedlings advise farmers to construct a nursery shade in an east-to-west direction to protect seedlings from the sun.
He adds that the shade will also protect seedlings from strong winds and heavy rain. He gives tips on how to care for nursery bed seedlings.
-Do not overcrowd seedlings in the nursery bed to minimise competition for space and other resources like water.
-Water twice daily during hot dry days to protect seedlings from wilting.
– Prune roots that grow out of the polythene bags to prevent roots from breaking when bags are lifted for planting out.
-Weed regularly to prevent weeds from competing with seedlings for water and soil nutrients.
– Fence off the nursery to prevent damage from animals and chickens.
-Control insects and diseases like damping-off that could destroy seedlings. Damping-off is mainly caused by overcrowding the seedlings. It may be controlled by thinning the seedlings to facilitate the movement of air among them.
– Spray the seedlings with appropriate pesticide in case of pest problems.
-Harden-off seedlings by gradually reducing the shade and frequency of watering. This allows them to get used to field conditions before transplanting.
Most seedlings will be ready to plant out between two and six months, depending on the type of tree.
After hardening-off, seedlings can be transplanted in well-prepared sites, preferably at the beginning of the rainy season. Transplant early in the morning or late in the evening (from 6:00am–10:00am or 4:00pm – 6:00pm).
Take care to protect them from grazing animals such as goats.
