Resource Book on Horticulture Nursery Management

plants. Pruning is primarily done in nursery plants to promote and maintain healthy plant
growth, through the removal of diseased or insect infested plant parts, dead branches or
excess branches, to improve marketable quality of nursery stock, through the promotion
of uniform shape, clean and even growth and to make plants more compact for display
and transport.
Care to be taken During Training and Pruning
� Ensure that cuts are sharp and clean and care is taken to prevent main branch
breakage and tearing.
� Prevent contamination of healthy tissues when pruning out diseased tissues through
proper cleaning of tools between successive cuts.
� While pruning out diseased branches, cut beyond the diseased tissues. Many diseases
grow internally, as well as externally.
� Application of Bordeaux paste on cuts and wounds is a beneficial practice.
5.2.2 Potting, Re-Potting, Depotting and Mulching in Nursery
A. Potting
When a plant is transferred from a seed bed or a flat bed to pot, this operation is
called as potting.
Potting of Nursery Plants is done for, preparing plants for sale such as rooted
cuttings of grapes, growing plants for decoration like crotons, growing plants for
experimental studies like pot -culture studies, for using plants as rootstocks in certain
grafting methods like grafting of mango seedling.
Potting Procedure
1. Wet the seedbed before lifting plants. Lift the plant with a ball of earth intact with the
root system. Do not pullout seedlings in the hot sun or when the soil around the roots
is dry.
2. Fill up pots by putting some crocks first, then a layer of sand (5-8 cm thick) and
finally pot mixture (8-10 cm thick).
3. Place the plant with the ball of earth in the centre upon the layer of pot mixture (Place
on one side of pots in the case the root stock plant is to be used in grafting/inarching)
4. Put pot mixture around the ball of earth, press as you fill up and level off.
5. Leave 2 to 3 cm head space at top. Do not press over the ball of earth. It will break
and damage the roots and set the stem of plant at the same height as it was in the seed
bed.
6. Immerse pot with plant in a tub of water gently and keep inside water till air bubbles
cease to come out. Remove and place the pot in shade.
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