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Nursery management

Tree nursery records are key components for a good nursery management. We have learned of various practices in a tree nursery from various posts on nursery operations, such as soil collection and mixing, and seed collection and handling. Tools and materials are important in a nursery but the most important thing is nursery management. Management includes a variety of crucial matters like planning, looking for tools, labor arrangement, supervising work and recording activities. In any nursery, there should be a person responsible for running a nursery that is called a nursery foreman.

Planning for nursery operations

Selection of species: before starting a nursery, choose the species that you will grow in the nursery. The choice of species depends on the uses.

How big is the operation?

Availability of materials: check if all materials needed for the nursery are available. 

Make periodic plans for the nursery e.g. annual plans

Nursery foreman

Any nursery should have a foreman as part of its key staff. 

Characteristics of a nursery supervisor (foreman) include:

1. Writing: record keeping is among the most important things in a nursery and a nursery foreman should be able to write.
2. Training: the foreman should have had some training in nursery techniques and management.
3. Personality: he/she should be able to keep good relations with other people.
4. Honesty: should be honest and strict.
5. Availability of working time: should have some time to visit the nursery.

Nursery records

Nursery diary

It is the most important record

It records all activities of a nursery and should be filled in the morning after allocation of duties and in the evening before breaking for the next day. The figure below shows an example o a nursery diary.

The examples in this posts are of an actual tree nursery run by a luxurious tourist camp in Masai Mara, Kenya.

Nursery register

This is based on individual nursery bed basis

Nursery delivery record

This shows how seedlings are distributed

Visitor’s book

It is not essential but can be used to evaluate the nursery as visitors sign the book and comment on the nursery

Muster roll

It records daily attendance of the nursery workers. Not very important for small nurseries employing less than five individuals though the head of the nursery should keep records of the working of his/her employees

P- present A-Absent, O-off duty, L-Leave, S-sick

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has a simple guide of running a nursery for tree seedlings. You can check it out too. All in all, whether you are in charge of a small school nursery or a major tree planting project, tree nursery records should never be ignored.