A nursery tray also called seedlings tray is a gardening tool in the form of a container with compartments used for the nursing and growing of seedlings.
The nursery trays are usually filled with soil or any other suitable growing medium, the soil or growing substrate is used to hold the seedlings in the nursery trays.
The use of nursery trays is common in Nigeria. Farmers now use the seedlings trays to raise their tomato seedlings, pepper seedlings, watermelon seedlings and cucumber seedlings etc. Coco peat is the commonest type of growing medium used for the raising of seedlings in nursery trays in Nigeria.
Nursery trays are the commonest farm tools used for crop propagation in Nigeria. Some farmers also call it seed propagation trays.
Uses of Nursery Trays in Nigeria
The following are the uses of nursery trays in Nigeria:
- Nursery trays can be used for the raising of vegetables’ seedlings like tomato seedlings, pepper seedlings and cucumber seedlings etc.
- Big nursery trays can be used to raise tree crops’ seedlings like kenaf seedlings, cashew seedlings and cocoa seedlings etc.
How to Grow Seedlings in Nursery Trays
The following are the steps you need to take in order to grow seedlings in nursery trays:
- Buy your seedlings trays from well-known dealers like Veggie Concept. Do not buy low quality and sub-standard seedlings trays because they are cheap. They will not last long.
- Suitable growing medium like soil, coco peat, perlite, sawdust or other types of substrates should be used. I strongly advise you use of coco peat.
- If coco peat is chosen as the substrate, you need to make the coco peat into finer particles and fill up all the holes in the nursery trays.
- Immediately after filling up the nursery trays with the coco peat, saturate the coco peat with water. Using excess water will ensure that the excess salt from the coco peat is washed out.
- You can use calcium magnesium nitrate fertilizer to buffer the coco peat. CALMAG fertilizer neutralizes the effect of excess potassium in the coco peat.
- Put one seed of the vegetable crop in each hole or cell of the seedlings tray.
- Ensure that the nursery tray and the medium in it do not get too dry at any point in time.
- Continue to wet the coco peat in the nursery trays and the seedlings until you transplant the seedlings.
- Add soluble fertilizer to the seedlings in the nursery trays.
- Harden off the seedlings before transplanting.
You can buy nursery trays here.
Where can I buy nursery trays in Nigeria?
Cost of nursery trays in Nigeria
You can also call us on 08025141924 to buy nursery trays.