Seeds nursery bed best practices for maximum production

Most of the small-seeded plants include tomatoes, cabbages and onions which require to be put through a nursery.

Farmers.co.ke spoke to Simlaw Seeds Company Limited under Kenya Seeds Company on the best practices to follow when planting seeds in a seedbed to ensure germination and growth of seedlings before transplanting.

Planting trays are usually highly recommended as they maximize germination.

For farmers who do not have planting trays or cannot access them and want to plant outside on the field, here are a few useful tips.

Nursery establishment through direct sowing

Site selection and preparation; a farmer should select an ideal place and ensure the farm is well tilled.
Well-drained sandy loam soil is best to plant the seeds on.
A farmer is advised to avoid sections with poor field history such as disease infestation, low fertility, acidity and waterlogged soils.
It should be close to a water source for ease of watering.
Avoid steep ground prone to a runoff in wet weather which would deprive the seeds and seedlings adequate water.
Nurseries should be in an area that receives full sunlight. Shading by trees results in delayed or poor seed germination.
A farmer should dig deeply bringing up the subsoil.
The farmer should create a fine tilth by mixing well-decomposed manure and working it in.

In dry areas, sunken beds are preferred as they trap precipitation or moisture.
In wet areas or wet weather, the beds should be raised to 15cm in height to improve drainage.
On sloppy grounds, beds should run along the contours to prevent soil erosion which carries away soil nutrients.

Sowing
A farmer should make drills of two centimetres depth across the bed and 10 centimetres apart.
Sparsely or thinly drill your seeds within the drill and cover lightly.
If sowing is done while the soil is dry, slightly compact the soil to improve on seed-soil contact.
The bed should be watered until it is well soaked. Watering depends on the weather conditions and soil type.

A very wet bed, however, may encourage rotting.
Avoid alternate wetting and drying as it kills the seeds.