HOW TO PRODUCE TREE SEEDLINGS

HOW TO PRODUCE TREE SEEDLINGS INTRODUCTION Where tree seedlings are produced use the following methods: 1. Produce the seedlings in a tree nursery in polythene pots 2. Produce the seedlings in a nursery using seedbeds 3. Produce the seedlings from sowing the seeds on the site, where the trees are wanted 4. Find wildings (small seedlings under mature trees in the nature) and plant them 5. Plant cuttings. GROWING SEEDLINGS IN A TREE NURSERY Site selection A nursery should be located near a water source, on flat land. It should also have wind breakers and not be waterlogged. The size of the nursery depends on the number of tree seedlings to be produced. However, it does not need to be big. e.g. if you want 5000 seedlings 10m x 10m will be sufficient. Fencing The nursery must be fenced in order to protect the tree seedlings from animals. If there is a possibility of problems with chickens use grass and poles. Other places can be constructed with thorny bushes. For permanent nurseries, it is a good idea to establish a living fence around the nursery at the beginning of the rainy season. It is also good to plant a few shade trees in the nursery. It is also good to plant a few shade trees in the nursery Nursery Beds Make the beds 1 m wide with 60 cm between each bed as walkways. If you have polythene pots mark out the beds with material like natural stones, burnt clay bricks, poles, or simply dig the beds 5 cm deep. A bed which is 1 meter wide and 5 meters long can accommodate from 500 to 1000 seedlings- depending on the size of the poly pots. Type of soil to use The polythene pots or the seed beds can be filled with good top soil and the best soil is found under big trees (Faidherbia Albida) or near dams/rivers. If the soil has a lot of clay (easy to form a ball when wet), you should mix the soil with sand. If the soil is not very fertile you should mix it with manure. Never mix more than one part of manure to 10 parts of soil, because the manure can burn the tree seedlings. How to fill the polythene pots with soil The bottom layer must be pressed hard, the middle layer should be slightly pressed and the top layer quite loose. The soil is pressed hard at the bottom in order for the soil not to fall out during transportation. If you have no polythene pots you can use any available container, such as from Chibuku. Remember to perforate the bottom area so that excess water can run out. 32

HOW TO SOW THE SEEDS Cover the seeds with soil twice the size of the actual seed. This means the bigger the seeds are, the more soil will be needed for covering. Sow seeds directly in the poly pots and in seed beds. If you have a lot of seeds, it is better to sow at least 3 seeds per pot. Seeds can also be sown in seed beds for later transplanting to poly pots, or even directly to the field. It is also a good idea to have some seedbeds in order to transplant the small plants to poly pots, in cases where the seeds did not germinate. SHADING The seedbed or polythene pots should be covered with a thin layer of grass after sowing to protect against the sun and heavy rain storms. Too thick a layer of grass is bad for germination. When the seedlings have germinated you should build a shade at a height of around 60 cm above the seedlings. Seed collection Many seeds can be collected locally from existing trees, it is better if you collect seeds from good and healthy trees. Seeds from any ripe fruit that you have bought or collected can be washed, and afterwards can be sown fresh or dried in the shade. Seed treatment It is important that the seeds are treated correctly before sowing or it will take a long time to germinate, and germination will be very poor. There are basically two different treatments: 33

Cold water treatment: Leave the seeds in cold water overnight before sowing. This applies to most fruit tree seeds and some other soft seeds Hot water treatment: Boil water (the volume of the water must be twice the volume of the seeds. Soak the seeds into the hot water and leave them to soak over night. Watering While the seeds are germinating and the seedlings are small, they must be watered every day. Afterwards every other day is sufficient. Use a water can or sprinkler made from a plastic container or tin with small holes in it. Do not put too much water as it can cause fungal diseases Weeding Keep the polythene pots or seedbeds free from weeds at all times. Transplanting Seedlings can be transplanted from seedbeds, when they are 3 to 5 cm tall. Transplant them to poly pots or to another seedbed for bare root planting (distance 5 cm x 5 cm). Water the seedlings and water the pots. Lift the seedling and make sure that the root will not be disturbed. Make a planting hole with a finger or a stick. Make sure the hole is bigger than the root. Press the soil firmly around the plant. Irrigate again and give full shade to the seedlings for 3 days. Always sort out the pots which contain seedlings from the empty pots where seeds did not germinate or where transplanted seedlings died. Re-sow or plant in these pots. Root pruning Eliminate small roots protruding from the poly pots by simply lifting the pots and breaking the roots by turning the poly pot around or by cutting the roots with a knife. Without pruning the roots will grow under the poly pots which can cause difficulties during transplanting, as roots may be damaged or break. Before and after root pruning the seedlings must be well 34

irrigated. Give full shade to the seedlings for 2 to 3 days. PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE OF TREES Introduction Like any other plant in a field, trees need to be well cared for. A good tree is the result of good management starting from the time of seed selection up to the time the tree is ready for harvesting or for as long as the tree provides fruit HOW TO MAKE HOLES FOR PLANTING TREES Fruit trees: Dig a hole of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm minimum but better to make it 1 m x 1 m x 1 m. When digging, put the top soil on one side and subsoil on the other side. When filling the hole, mix the soil in the following manner: Fill the topsoil back into the hole and mix it with one bucket of kraal manure or compost, 1 cup of ashes and, if available, l handful of D-compound. Mix thoroughly. Fill up the hole with top soil from the surrounding area. Use the subsoil to make a basin in order to irrigate the tree. Leave to settle for at least 2 weeks. If there are any problems with termites you should mix chopped Euphorbia with the other substances and put into the planting hole. Other trees: For non fruit trees make a hole 30 cm deep and 30 cm in diameter. You can also plow the lines for planting trees. All trees will grow best if you mix manure, ashes and if possible a little fertilizer into the planting holes. Eucalyptus will not do well without manure or fertilizer. Plant early and plant correctly: Prepare the holes before the onset of rains - or just after the rain has started. Trees planted in the beginning of the rain season do much better than trees planted late in the rain season. It is therefore important that you start the nursery early - so the seedlings are ready to be planted when the rain starte. Measure the correct distance and place a small peg for every tree 35

HOW TO PLANT TREES Planting of seedling in a polypot: Remove or cut the poly pot carefully without disturbing the roots. It can best be removed by cutting with a razor blade. Plant the seedlings carefully so the soil will not be disturbed around the root. Plant the seedling at the same level as the surrounding land. Make a basin out of the subsoil for watering the plants. Press the soil firmly around the plant. Irrigate the plant with at least 5 liters of water (if it is not raining). Mulch the trees with dry grass or other plant materials. Make sure that the mulch does not touch the stem in order to avoid attracting termites. Planting of cuttings: Prepare the cuttings from mature branches. A coating shall be around 30 cm long. Place 10 to 15 cm down in the ground. Cuttings will easily make roots if the planting hole is prepared with compost or manure. Ensure that the cuttings receive water if it does not rain for a few days. Direct planting of tree seeds: Mangoes are normally raised from seeds and planted directly at the place to stay. Mango seeds easily germinate but for the future growth of the tree it is an advantage to prepare planting holes as described above. Most trees can be planted using the direct seed sowing method. You should always irrigate the germinating seedlings if it does not rain for a few days. lanting site and spacing You must select a good place where to plant trees. You must not plant too close to the house or under big trees. Always think of how big the trees will grow and allow enough space between them. If you plant many trees, it is an advantage to use a planting string. RECOMMENDED SPACING: Guava 6m x 4m Oranges 6m x 4m Papaw 3m x 2m Eucalyptus 2m x 3m Passion fruit 3m x 2m Gmelina 2m x 3m Avocado 6m x 12m Cassia 2m x 3m 36

Mango 6m x 12m HOW TO PROTECT YOUNG TREES Keep the area at least ½ m around the seedling free from weeds all the time. Weeds will destroy the seedling or make it s growth slower. Slash between the trees. Protect the seedlings against animals by establishing a fence around the plantation, and around each individual tree. It can, where convenient, be done with thorny branches Protect the seedlings against fire. Make a firebreak of at least 5 m around the plantation - or around the home. The firebreak can be done by early burning in May to June Mulch around the trees - especially fruit trees. This will minimize the amount of irrigation To eradicate termites, apply ashes and the leaves of Cassia Siamea, tobacco or Euphorbia around the tree. You can also water around the tree with a pesticide. HOW TO CHASE AWAY BROWSING ANIMALS FROM THE TREES Place cow or goat dung in a bucket of water (1 l dung in a bucket). Leave to soak overnight. Sive. Spray the following day on the trees. The goats and cows will be chased away because of the smell. Keep an eye on the trees - when the animals come too close to the trees it is time to spray again. HOW TO LOOK AFTER FRUIT TREES. In low rainfall areas nearly all fruit trees need irrigation. The amount of water will increase with the size of the tree. The basin must also increase with the size of the tree. The basin ought to be as wide as the canopy of the tree. A 2 year old Orange tree will need 1 bucket of water, while a big Orange tree will need a full drum of water for irrigation Fruit trees which are not watered will yield less and will give fruits of low quality (small size and sour) Apply some kraal manure, compost and if available D-compound around the trees at the beginning of the rain season. Mix the manure and fertilizer into the soil not 37

near the stem and avoid to disturb the tree roots. A big tree will need at least one wheel barrow full of manure/ compost yearly. Remove all sick and dead branches. Beside this, most fruit trees do not need pruning - which can actually often do more harm than good. Fruit trees which benefit from yearly pruning are: Guava, Passion fruit and Peaches When trees and fruits are attacked by pests, look into the list of Natural Pesticides for methods of spraying against this pest Let the bassin grow with the tree HOW TO LOOK AFTER TREES FOR POLES AND FIREWOOD. In order to secure that Gmelina and Cassia will grow straight for poles, you can prune away side branches. Never prune Eucalyptus trees - they will grow better undisturbed, and will still provide a straight pole. Harvest the tree with a slanting cut, around 10 cm from the ground. New shoots will grow up - only leave two of those new shoots to grow. 38