Nursery raising and management for vegetable crops

Definition of Nursery:          "A vegetable nursery is a place or an establishment for raising or handling of young vegetable seedlings until they are ready for more permanent planting."

Why do we need Nursery?

Some vegetables require special cares during their early growth period because of with very small sized seeds and mostly for early seed germination and keep the seedlings safe from harsh temperature because nursery is on small area easy to protect. These are first sown in the nursery for better care and to combat with the time for field preparation and after about one month of seed sowing, transplanted in the main field.

Advantages of Nursery Management:

•           It is possible to provide favourable growth conditions i.e. germination as well as growth

•           Better care of younger plants as it is easy to look after nursery in small area against pathogenic infection, pests and weeds.

•           Crop grown by nursery raising is quite early and fetch higher price in the market, so economically more profitable.

•           There is saving of land and labour as main fields will be occupied by the crops after 1 month. More intensive crop rotations can be followed.

•           More time is available for the preparation of main field because nursery is grown separately.

•           As vegetable seeds are very expensive particularly hybrids, so we can economize the seed by sowing them in the nursery.

Site Selection is the first important consideration for nursery management:

•           Area selected should be well drained, and free from water logging

•           There should be proper sunlight,

•           The nursery should be near the water supply so that irrigation can be easy.

•           The area should be well protected from pet and wild animals

Methods of  growing vegetables.                       

1- Direct sowing. (Through seed) i-e Okra, Peas, cucumber, Biter gourd, Bottle gourd, Radish, Turnip, Spinach, Carrots, Mathey and beet roots etc.   

2- Through seedlings. i-e Onion, Tomato, Brinjal, Pepper, Chilies, Cauliflower, Cabbage,  lettuce and salary, parsley, Artichoke etc.

3- Vegetative propagation. i-e Potato, Ginger, Turmeric, Mint, Sweet potato, Calocacia, and Garlic etc.

Soil and soil preparation:

• Raising of vegetable seedlings requires fertile and healthy soil.
• Preferably, the soil for nursery should be loam to sandy loam, loose and friable, rich in organic matter and well drained.
• The soil pH should be close to the neutral i.e. about 7.0
• Soil preparation
• It needs a deep cultivation of the nursery land either by soil turning plough or by spade and subsequent 2-3 hoeing with cultivator.
• After that all the clots, stones and weeds from the field should be removed and land should be leveled.
• Mix 2 kg well rotten and fine Farm yard manure/compost or leaf compost or 500 g vermi compost per square meter and mix in the soil. If the soil is heavy mix 2-3 kg sand per square meter so that the seed emergence may not be hampered.

Nursery bed preparation

•           Nursery bed should be prepared according to the season and crop.

•           In the rainy season raised beds are prepared but in the winter and summer season flat beds should be prepared. Similarly onion in the Rabi season requires flat beds. For the uniform and high percentage of germination the soil must be fine and moist enough.

•           If the seedlings are to be raised in boxes during unfavourable weather condition, the flower pots, polythene bags, potting plugs, wooden treys, earthen pots etc. may be used. Prepare soil mixture in the ratio of 1:1:1 of soil, sand and well rotten FYM/leaf mould etc. and fill the mixture in these seedlings raising structure. Arrangement should be made to drain excess water from these structures by making a hole in the bottom of all types of pots.

Raised nursery beds

•           Length of the bed may be kept 3 to 5 meter; however, width is restricted to 1 meter only which facilitates intercultural operations.

•           The beds are raised 15 to 20 cm high from the ground level. A space of 30 - 40 cm is leaft in between two beds.

•           The space between two beds helps in weeding, nursery care against diseases and insect pest and also for draining out the excess rain water from the nursery beds.

•           The number of beds depends on the particular crop, season and growing area of crop.

•           The beds should be prepared in the east and west direction and line should be made from north to south direction on the beds.

Planting Material

n  In plastic trays.

n  In mud pots.

n  In plastic tubes.

n  In plastic glass.

n  In wooden crates. (4-6 inches).

n  In mini plastic tunnel. ( 3-4 feet).

n  In walking plastic tunnel.