COCONUT NURSERY

ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT

♣ Nursery Site Selection

♣ The Seedbed
♣ Seedling Selection
 Good
seednuts
Well-
maintained
nursery

Good
Seedlings

Good
Cultural mgt
 NURSERY SITE SELECTION

open, level, well-drained

light or loose
Textured soil

good source of water

accessible to
Good
transportation
Nursery
Far from existing & potential
sources of
insect pests & diseases
A nursery site with a minimum area of 3,600 m2 can
accommodate about 12,000 seednuts good for 50 ha

To be fully operational, the nursery should have

 fence for security
 shed for the implements and supplies
 farm implements and small equipment
 source of water for irrigation
 trained manpower.
Elevation: 10-20 cm high

Width: 1 m to avoid stepping on seednuts

during maintenance and transfer operations

Length: 2 m long seedbed – easy inspection,

management & maintenance; a seedbed measuring 1x40
m can accommodate about 1,000 seednuts

Pathway: 0.75-1 m between seedbeds to facilitate

inspection, selection, pricking, maintenance & seedling
transfer
 1
Set nuts firmly - 3 Cover 2/3 of the
upright or slightly nuts with soil
tilted > germ end at
the top
2
Set close to one
another to prevent
floating in case of
heavy rains
 Sign board > in front of each bed:

Date when nuts are received in the nursery

Date when nuts are harvested
Name of variety
Date of sowing
Number of nuts sown
Seedbed number
water except when it rains

weed, if necessary

partial shading, when needed

inspect for disease & pest incidence

 Apply fertilizers at
recommended rates/seedlings

Age (NH4)2SO4 KCl or NaCl

(months) (21-0-0) (0-0-60)
(after germ.) (g) (g) (g)

2 20 25 20

5 40 45 40
Sprouts - 4-6 cm high

Discard nuts with sprouts

which are multiple, thin or
etiolated, bent or spindled,
and albinos

Refill vacated plots with soil so

as not to destabilize remaining
ungerminated seednuts
About 4-5 months, when the seedlings are about
3 feet tall, seedlings are
ready for field planting.

Pest- and disease- free

Thick girth, good vegetative growth
Robust & vigorous
No abnormalities

Best
Seedlings
Selecting the best
planting materials
before field
planting assures
higher productivity
per unit area &
time