Vegetable Nursery Guide: How to prepare a vegetable nursery? Know from Naseer Ahmed

Vegetable Nursery Guide: You must have seen many nurseries of flowers and ornamental plants around you, you must also know about fruit nurseries, but do you know that like flowers and fruits, preparing a nursery of vegetables can also be a good business, not only this, it is also beneficial for farmers. 

Preparing a nursery means preparing their saplings in a different place instead of sowing the seeds directly in the field and also planting them in the field. Usually nurseries of flowers and fruits are prepared, but farmer Naseer Ahmed, who lives in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, has been doing vegetable nursery business for the last 5-6 years and he also considers it beneficial for farmers. So how is a vegetable nursery made and what are the benefits to farmers from it, Kisan of India correspondent Sarvesh Bundeli talked to Naseer Ahmed on all these important issues.

How to Prepare A Vegetable Nursery?

Naseer Ahmed tells that to prepare a vegetable nursery, first of all the seeds are soaked in water for 24 hours. Then it is tied in a cloth and kept in a warm place. By keeping it in a warm place, it germinates in 5-6 days i.e. shoots appear in it. Then the soil prepared by mixing soil and local manure is put in a polybag, then the germinated seeds are put in it.

Best Vegetables To Start In A Nursery 

Naseer tells that in his nursery, saplings of many vegetables like striped gourd, round gourd, round pumpkin, bitter gourd, striped ridge gourd, local cucumber are prepared. He says that if anyone wants, he can plant these plants from February to May, June and July. These are zaid or kharif vegetables. If a farmer wants to prepare a nursery of vegetables for the Rabi season, then he can plant crops like plain gourd, cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, tomato, knol-kale. Not only this, if someone wants to earn money in the nursery business, then he can prepare a nursery of vegetables according to the season and earn income throughout the year.

Best Practices For Planting Nursery Vegetables 

Nasri says that it is necessary to protect vegetables like gourd, brinjal, tomato, bitter gourd from frost and it is also necessary to show their plants light morning sunlight. Gourd and bitter gourd plants cannot bear much cold. The right mixture of soil and manure is also necessary for the proper growth of the plant.

Why is it beneficial to create a plant nursery? 

Any plant needs more care in the beginning so that it can grow properly and can be protected from diseases and pests. While preparing saplings in the nursery, the plants are taken good care of, which produces good quality saplings and this leads to good production.

The second advantage of this is that when a crop is ready in the field, if the farmer harvests it and directly plants vegetable saplings instead of seeds, then the production starts coming quickly, this saves his time and good production is obtained from good quality saplings. This fetches a good price for the crop in the market.

Planting saplings instead of seeds leads to a good crop. Farmers get ready saplings which are also cheaper for them. Not only this, the saplings developed in the nursery are stronger and one does not have to work hard to prepare the nursery of horticultural crops. If the farmer wants, he can make beds with manure, right soil and improved seeds in a corner of the field or near the house, or he can grow the saplings in polybags. By doing this, the plants are ready for transplantation within a month.

Setting Up A Nursery Bed 

If you want to plant saplings by making beds instead of polybags, then you have to keep some things in mind. Suppose you are planting a crop on one acre of land, then make 10-15 beds of 33 feet long, 2 feet wide and 2 feet high. To strengthen these beds, install pillars all around so that the plants can be covered by putting plastic sheet or green net. This protects the plants from heavy rain and frost.

Soil preparation For Nursery Bed 

To prepare good quality saplings, it is necessary to have nutritious elements in the soil. For this, loamy soil is considered good. In this, a mixture is prepared by mixing compost manure, river sand-gravel, goat manure, cow dung manure, red soil or farm soil, paddy straw, ash. By preparing the soil in this way, the germination of seeds and growth of plants is very good. 

Sowing Methods For Nursery Plants 

After preparing the beds in the nursery, sow the seeds in rows after treating them. This will help the plants grow easily and the nursery will also be taken care of properly. Keep in mind that do not sprinkle the seeds from above and do light irrigation after sowing. After this, cover the beds with black plastic sheet or straw.

When does the vegetable nursery get ready? 

If the vegetable nursery is prepared properly and good quality seeds are used, then the plants are ready in just 3 weeks. These plants are completely healthy and disease free. Therefore, they give good yield. After 30 days, farmers can plant these plants in the field. For a good crop, it is important to prepare the field well before planting the plants and manage the weeds and crop residues properly.

Frequently Asked Questions on Vegetable Nursery 

Q: What is a vegetable nursery?

A vegetable nursery is a controlled environment where vegetable seeds are germinated and seedlings are raised. This process is extremely important for farmers as it provides them with high-quality seedlings that later help in producing healthy and productive crops.

Q: What kind of vegetables can be grown in a nursery?

A: Various types of vegetables can be grown in a nursery such as tomatoes, chillies, brinjals, cabbage, and spinach. It depends on which crop is best suited for the local climate and soil conditions.

Q: When and how should seeds be sown?

A: The time and method of sowing seeds depends on the crop. Generally, summer crops are sown in March-April and winter crops in August-September. Seeds should be sown at the right distance and at the right depth so that they get adequate nutrition and space for growth.

Question: How to select the right location for a nursery?

Answer: While selecting a location for a nursery, keep in mind that the place should be suitable for sunlight, availability of water and good drainage. The place should be free from the threat of floods or other natural disasters.

Question: What is the right time and method to transfer plants from the nursery to the field?

Answer: When the plants are fully grown in the nursery and their roots become strong, then they can be transferred to the field. Usually, this time is after 4-6 weeks. While transferring, remove the plants slowly and plant them in the soil immediately so that they do not get any damage.

Question: How to manage the nursery and get economic benefits?

Seed selection is important in nursery management. Use good quality seeds that are disease-resistant and can give high productivity. It is also important to treat the seeds before sowing so that any kind of diseases can be avoided. The cost of running a nursery includes land, seeds, manure, water, and labor. The initial cost may be high, but with the right management and care, it can prove to be profitable. The equipment required for a nursery includes nursery trays, sprayers, polythene bags, and irrigation systems.