Growing plants in a nursery
Feb 03, 2006
TREES, flowers and shrubs beautifully improve the environment. They are a long-term investment that will pay off if started right, with the first and most important step being the selection of the right seedling to match your place.
MEET THE GARDENER
By Harriet Birungi
TREES, flowers and shrubs beautifully improve the environment. They are a long-term investment that will pay off if started right, with the first and most important step being the selection of the right seedling to match your place.
Joseph Muwonge, an agriculturist who has been into gardening for the last five years and has a nursery bed for trees, shrubs and flowers opposite the Lugogo mall, in Kampala says, “Unless the flowers or trees have a good start, they may not do well even in good places. That is why we make sure they grow in a nursery bed, where they are cared for and nurtured by providing them with easy to absorb nutrients for development of a good root system.â€
Like a baby that cannot fend for itself, so are the young seedlings, says Muwonge. When in the nursery bed, we mix different soils, and manure for the plants proper growth in preparation
for transplanting.
We use cow dung, charcoal remains known as olusenyente and add red, black and sand soils in measured amounts for the good growth of the seedlings. We plant them in polythene bags to keep the root system intact. Mature cow dung (that which has stayed out for long) is used because of its easy-to-absorb soluble nutrients that are good for the growth of seedlings, with the exception of cyprus shrubs (obukomera) and eucalyptus trees, which turn yellow if fed on cow dung.
Charcoal remains are added to keep the soil soft and prevent it from solidifying when seedlings are watered, as roots will rot. And red, black and sand soils are mixed for the production of very fine manure that is good for the flowers. For the control of pests, he advises the use of ambush pesticide as it sticks longer on leaves and kills any leaf and flower eating pests and parasites.
In a dry season, watering should be done twice, in the morning and evening so that seedlings do not wilt. Weeding is done on a weekly basis to avoid competition for the limited nutrients, due to the fact that they are confined to polythene bags. And trimming done on a regular basis encourages leaf re-growth.
“The longer the seedling stays without being transplanted, the more expensive it will be, going for as much as sh3,000. This is because more care is given to keep it growing. The most desired flowers and shrubs are roses because they are ever flowering, juranta and cyprus for fencing, buchadia and cassava plant flower because of its yellow patch flower. Nevertheless, the returns from my nursery depend on what tree or flower is on high demand for a given month and also my ability to avail customers with a variety to choose from,†he says.
When it comes to transplanting, Muwonge says, the bottom of the polythene should be cut in X-form, to ensure that the roots are loosened, as tightly packed roots will not grow out into the surrounding soil after transplanting.
By Harriet Birungi
TREES, flowers and shrubs beautifully improve the environment. They are a long-term investment that will pay off if started right, with the first and most important step being the selection of the right seedling to match your place.
Joseph Muwonge, an agriculturist who has been into gardening for the last five years and has a nursery bed for trees, shrubs and flowers opposite the Lugogo mall, in Kampala says, “Unless the flowers or trees have a good start, they may not do well even in good places. That is why we make sure they grow in a nursery bed, where they are cared for and nurtured by providing them with easy to absorb nutrients for development of a good root system.â€
Like a baby that cannot fend for itself, so are the young seedlings, says Muwonge. When in the nursery bed, we mix different soils, and manure for the plants proper growth in preparation
for transplanting.
We use cow dung, charcoal remains known as olusenyente and add red, black and sand soils in measured amounts for the good growth of the seedlings. We plant them in polythene bags to keep the root system intact. Mature cow dung (that which has stayed out for long) is used because of its easy-to-absorb soluble nutrients that are good for the growth of seedlings, with the exception of cyprus shrubs (obukomera) and eucalyptus trees, which turn yellow if fed on cow dung.
Charcoal remains are added to keep the soil soft and prevent it from solidifying when seedlings are watered, as roots will rot. And red, black and sand soils are mixed for the production of very fine manure that is good for the flowers. For the control of pests, he advises the use of ambush pesticide as it sticks longer on leaves and kills any leaf and flower eating pests and parasites.
In a dry season, watering should be done twice, in the morning and evening so that seedlings do not wilt. Weeding is done on a weekly basis to avoid competition for the limited nutrients, due to the fact that they are confined to polythene bags. And trimming done on a regular basis encourages leaf re-growth.
“The longer the seedling stays without being transplanted, the more expensive it will be, going for as much as sh3,000. This is because more care is given to keep it growing. The most desired flowers and shrubs are roses because they are ever flowering, juranta and cyprus for fencing, buchadia and cassava plant flower because of its yellow patch flower. Nevertheless, the returns from my nursery depend on what tree or flower is on high demand for a given month and also my ability to avail customers with a variety to choose from,†he says.
When it comes to transplanting, Muwonge says, the bottom of the polythene should be cut in X-form, to ensure that the roots are loosened, as tightly packed roots will not grow out into the surrounding soil after transplanting.