Transplanting the seedlings into a nursery

13. Preparing the nursery plot

Choose a bigger, flat and fertile plot next to the seed plot. Till the soil deeply, to 40 centimetres. Break all the lumps of earth. Put in a lot of manure.

14. Transplanting the seedlings

Make beds of soil 1.2 metres wide, with 60- centimetre paths in between.
Mark out furrows, leaving 30 centimetres between one furrow and the next.
Dig holes, leaving 30 centimetres between one hole and the next.
The holes should be 15 centimetres deep.

Plant the seedlings in the holes, pack the soil down well around the root. Be very careful not to twist the tap root, and do not bury the crown.

15. Looking after the nursery

Nursery bads

In order to protect the nursery from the sun, put up a screen of palm fronds above each bed.

But when the little plants grow bigger, give them less shade, so that the coffee trees get used to the sun. Young coffee trees need a lot of water.

Water them often.
If any seedlings die, replace them.

Protect the coffee seedlings from diseases and insects.

Pull out diseased seedlings.

Apply treatment for diseases. Kill insects with DDT.

16. Seedlings can stay In the nursery

4 to 5 months if you want to plant them during the next rainy season,

12 months or more if you want to plant them only next year.

When you remove the coffee tree seedlings from the nursery bed in order to plant them in the plantation, be very careful not to break the roots.

Sort out the seedlings: throw away diseased seedlings and seedlings with a twisted tap root.