Introduction:

1. Introduction: • The basic considerations like knowledge, skills, strong desire, capital resources, material and manpower are the major criteria for successful establishment and operation of nursery. • Establishment of a Nursery also requires capital investment for component like, Scion bank, propagation structures, office, etc. • It is very necessary to enumerate and analyze the components of capital investments in nursery. • Once the components of expenditure has been analyzed, the prioritization of operations can done.

2. Components of Nursery • Fence: • Fence around a nursery is essential to secure the nursery from trespassing animals and humans. • Fencing can be done using a barbed wire which is a secure but still a economic method of avoiding stray animals and thieves. • The fence could be further strengthened by planting a live hedge with thorny fruit plants around like Karonda (Carissa carandas).

3. Fence: Wooden Fence Live Fence

4. Internal Roads and Paths: • Properly planned roads and paths in a nursery can beautify and add aesthetic value and make the nursery operations easy and economical. • Internal Roads and Paths can be achieved by dividing the nursery in to blocks and sections. Each road / path lead the customer to a point of interest in the nursery area. • However laying too many paths can cause wastage of the land which is a very expensive resource in Nursery.

5. Work shed: • Need based and desired size work shed should be made from local materials for carrying out various nursery operations throughout the year. • Mother Plant Block: • The nursery should have a well-maintained healthy, pest and disease free mother plant block or scion bank of popular varieties obtained from a authentic and genuine source. • The success of horticulture nursery depends upon the initial selection of mother plants for further multiplication.

6. Mother Plant Block & Work shed Work Shade of Nursery Mother Plant Block

7. Irrigation System: • Horticultural nursery plants require abundant water as they are grown in polybags or pots with limited quantity of potting mixture. A nursery should have adequate supply of quality irrigation water. • A sump to hold sufficient quantity of water is essential in areas with water scarcity to irrigate the nursery plants. • In areas with frequent power failures an alternate power supply (generator) is very essential for smooth running the pump set. • A well laid PVC pipeline and micro-irrigation system reduces the losses and wastage of water to various components in the nursery.

8. Irrigation System: Foggers in shade net of nursery Micro-irrigation in ornamental nursery

9. Office cum Stores: • The office building is constructed at a place desirable for receiving guests and also convenient for supervising the day to day nursery activities. • The office building may be suitably decorated with attractive photographs of plants propagated in the nursery. • A store room of suitable size is needed for storing poly bags, tools and implements, packaging material, labels, pesticides, fertilizers etc.

10. Potting Mixture and Potting Yard: • Potting mixture determines the growth of nursery plants. Different potting mixtures are used for different purposes. • Potting mixtures can be prepared by mixing fertile red soil or river bed soil with pH value of 6.5 to 7. The potting mixture is prepared by mixing soil, rotten FYM/leaf mold and sand in 2:1:1 proportion. Super phosphate must be added for better decomposition and solubilization. • The potting mixture must be prepared well in advance and may be kept near the potting yard, where potting or bag filling is done.