Setting up a nursery
Step 1
Clear all weeds and grass. Dig the soil well so that there are no lumps.
Step 2
1 week before planting, add a 7 cm layer of compost or well-rotted manure. Use 1 wheelbarrow full of manure for every 3 square metres. Mix into the soil. Water the bed.
Step 3
Soak the seeds in mixture of 50g PEARL in 20lt water just before planting them. This will prevent soil borne diseases attacking seedlings.
Step 4
Plant seeds in lines 2 cm deep in rows 15 cm apart. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Add dry grass as mulch. This will protect the soil and keep water in. Water the bed.
Germination
Your seeds will start to germinate after 5-7 days. Remove the grass and put a shade over the nursery bed.
The shade should be 1m high. Put grass on the top but make sure some sun light can get through.
- Remove weak seedlings.
- Plant them in another bed. Keep the soil damp but not wet. Too much or too little water is bad for your seedlings.
Too much water
Nutrients in the soil are washed away.
There will be less oxygen in the soil.
The plant will fall over and the stem will rot. The plant can die.
Too little water
The plant wilts.
The plant cannot take up nutrients well so growth is poor.
