How to prepare a vegetable seeds nursery

May 25, 2022

A vegetable seed nursery is set apart for raising or handling young vegetable seedlings until they are ready for more permanent planting.

Nurseries are set up in containers, boxes, or regular seedbeds. Whichever set-up you use, make sure the area you choose is flat.

Preparing a vegetable seed nursery

Before sowing the seeds for germination, you need to do several things to ensure the soil condition is conducive enough.

Taking care of your soil's health
Taking care of your soil's health

At Lion farm, we have various vegetable seeds to choose from. Head on over to our shop: https://tropika.co.ke/shop/

Soil sterilization

Soil sterilization is a crucial step when it comes to preparing your seedbeds. It helps eliminate microorganisms in the soil that may cause diseases and harm your seedlings.

The easiest and cheapest way to do this is by using the sun's heat. This method is known as solarisation. Here's how you go about it:-

  • Clear your piece of land of all the unnecessary things in your soil likes; roots, trash, and rocks.
  • Then go ahead and water the soil adequately.
  • After all that, cover your soil with either a clear or black plastic sheet. Make sure your plastic covering is wider than the area you seek to protect.
  • Place stones all around the area to help trap the heat. The temperatures range from about 40-50 degrees, killing many weeds and microorganisms.

This process will help your seedlings increase their productivity rate.

You can also consider chemical sterilization, but it is usually expensive and can cause soil pollution.

We recommend setting up your nurseries 50 meters away from the central farms to avoid pests and diseases.

Ensure that the area chosen for your nurseries is easily accessible and away from foot traffic, especially from your livestock. 

  • First, you need to clear the land from rocks, old roots, and weeds.
  • After that, you need to break up the hard soil in the area to make it softer and lighter to allow the seedlings to grow.
  • As you break down the earth, you can add manure or fertilizer and mix it with the soil. Ensuring the seedlings get enough nutrients once planted.
  • Depending on the plant, how you space your furrows can vary, but the standard measurements are (10 to 20 cm)

You can read more on soil sterilization from: https://www.makeitmissoula.com/2021/05/understanding-the-importance-of-soil-sterilization/

Preparing the seeds for planting

As you're preparing your seedbeds for planting, you need to consider the seeds you want to use. Seeds selected or purchased need to have the ideal and preferred qualities.

It's okay to re-use seeds that have worked for you from a previous harvest, or you can opt to buy certified seeds from reputable seed companies.

Once you have chosen your seeds, you can do a seed test a week before the main sowing to make sure the seeds grow into seedlings. That will help you avoid losses and will also help you increase your level of productivity.

Planting the seeds

Before sowing your seeds, you need to prepare them for planting. First, soak your seeds in hot water to soften them up.

Drill thinly in rows 10cm apart and cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil.

Cover the bed with dry grass lightly to help maintain soil moisture and keep the plants warm enough, creating an environment conducive to seedling growth. We call it mulching.

As you take care of your seedbed, ensure that your seedlings get enough sunlight and shade while also watering them as often as possible to grow well. 

You will start seeing growth in 5-7 days after sowing.

Seedling nutrition 

Seedlings don't need fertilizer in the first week of germination because the cotyledons (seeds) have the required nutrition to sustain seedling growth.

After 5-7 days, the seedlings may require a certain amount of nutrition. This added nutrition in fertilizers is essential to boost your seedlings' growth.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are two essential nutrients for growing seedlings to promote plant growth. And a lot of fertilizers contain these nutrients in them.

We advise that you use them as directed when you get these fertilizers. Too much of it or less of it may hurt your seedlings' development.

Remember to water your seedlings often, as water plays an essential part in your seedlings' growth.

Watering your seedlings
Watering your seedlings

How to control weeds in your Vegetable nursery

With some of the things we've mentioned before, we advise that you have your seedbed at least 50 meters apart from the main farm to avoid certain pests and diseases. So make sure your site location is ideal.

It is advisable to use herbicides and weed chemicals recommended for seedlings.

And as you keep a close eye on your seedbed, you can choose to handpick the weeds that pop up. Then, dot it carefully to avoid damage to your seedlings.

Pest and disease control

Pests and diseases can be a complete menace to your seedbed that can cause significant losses, so you need to keep a close eye on them.

It's essential to always keep a close eye on anything strange and new that may appear in your seedbed. That way, you can easily control them before they get out of hand.

It's also essential to know the proper insecticides for your seedlings.

Some significant pests and diseases affect seedlings in the nursery:-

  • Early blight
  • Root-knot nematodes

Seedling maturity and transplanting

Seedlings are usually ready for transplanting in the five leafed stage, which characteristics include:-

  • Tough and strong stock of the seedling
  • The roots fully developed           
  • And free from disease, pests, and diseases to avoid transference to the main fields.

While transplanting the seedlings, you should do it carefully and delicately to allow the seedlings to thrive in the main field.

Transplanting seedlings
Transplanting seedlings

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Tropika is a supplier of certified vegetable seeds in Kenya and beyond
Tropika - Certified Vegetable Seeds for Africa,
Room 29, 2nd floor Lois Plaza for Business, Latema Rd, Nairobi, Kenya.
+254 740 232 780
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