What is the most important feature of a tree nursery?
Producing environments in which young trees can thrive. So does that mean that trees could be propagated anywhere? Well, nursery sites do vary a great deal (C 2), but choosing a favourable spot is usually needed in order to: • overcome problems and minimise losses during propagation (C 3, C 60); • grow young trees with suitable root systems (C 4, C 11); and • produce enough good planting stock (C 34, C 47) at the right time for planting (Manual 5). Does it matter whether the nursery is temporary or permanent? No. The same general points apply (C 21–22), whether it is: • near the house, growing small numbers of trees to plant on the farm; • far from any buildings, producing enough trees to plant one area; or • on a main road, turning out hundreds of thousands of trees in a year. How do I choose a good site? Above all, the tree nursery needs to be near to an adequate supply of water (C 24), though not liable to flooding; and preferably also: • not on a very steep slope (D 23 in Manual 4)