The reasons that led to establishing a nursery for planting palm seedlings
1- planting small-sized and incompletely-grown seedlings
2- Work to increase some rare varieties with good qualities.
3- Increasing the success rate of palm planting
4- Increasing the care of palm seedlings and strengthening the root system.
Conditions that must be provided in the palm nursery
1- The land of the nursery should be fertile It must have good water drainage
2- The nursery ground should be free of weeds and harmful salts.
3- The nursery ground must be free of diseases, fungi and viruses, and away from disease-infested land
4- It should have a permanent source of irrigation. .
Preparing the land of the palm nursery
1- Well drained and ventilated lands are preferred.
2 – The land must be well plowed and smoothed, taking into account the removal of weeds, and the plowing must be deep.
3- The holes are dug with dimensions of 70 x 70 x 70 cm, provided that the distance between the hole and the other is 150 cm.
Method (seeding) of the seedlings in the nursery
1- The seedling is placed deep in the hole so that palm pith is above the surface of the soil and far enough from the Covering that irrigation water does not enter it, which leads to its rotting and death.
2- Placing the seedlings in the north direction, not vertically, to be away from the wind and perpendicular of the sun, in order to prevent drought.
3- The seedlings are wrapped with burlap or palm leaf scales and straw to protect the seedlings from wind and direct sunlight.
4- The land is irrigated abundantly so that it covers the surface of the soil.
After that, it is irrigated according to the type of soil and the farming season, provided that the irrigation is at short intervals in the summer in particular, and over long periods to a certain extent in the winter, bearing in mind that the irrigation is done in the early morning.
5- The ground around the seedlings should be constantly wet and not expose the shoots to drought at all
Especially after planting for at least a month and a half after planting so that the drying out of the soil does not cause the seedlings to deteriorate.
6- Continuing to care for the seedling until more than two years have passed
It can be transferred after that and planted in the permanent land after that.
Characteristics of a good seedling
1- It should be of good quality in growth and production and of high quality.
2- It is preferable to take the offshoots after the date palm production
To be sure of the item.
3- The weight of the seedling should be between 10-20 kg.
4- The age of the seedling should not be less than 3-4 years.
5- The length of the seedling should not be less than 90 cm and its diameter should not be less than 35-40 cm.
6 – The seedling should have a strong base that is not split, and have strong, healthy roots.
7- The cut surface should be as small as possible and the cut should be sharp.
8- It is preferable to select the seedling from (lowly irrigated) palms so that they have become accustomed to thirst.
9- It should be taken into account to buy the seedlings from trusted places, in order to ensure the quality of the date palms.
The reasons that lead to the deterioration of the seedlings in the palm nursery
1- Infecting seedlings with diseases, especially fungal diseases, scale insects and mealybugs.
2- Not using fungal disinfectants before planting.
3- Cultivation of small, weak seedlings .
5- The death of the growth tip as a result of deep cultivation in the soil and exposure to irrigation water, so it rots.
6- Not wrapping the seedlings well, as this will cause the seedling to dry out.
7- Failure to follow the appropriate irrigation periods, and the seedlings are exposed to thirst.
8- Not protecting the seedlings from the heat of the sun and strong winds
9- Not to sterilize the hollows before planting to kill harmful microbes.
1- The seedlings are uprooted after two years according to the strength of growth.
Steps for transferring the seedlings from the nursery
2- The soil around the seedlings is irrigated before transporting and then left to dry a little.
3- The cuttings are uprooted from the soil around the roots.
4- Sometimes they are placed in polyethylene bags for easy transportation to the permanent ground.
5- Seedlings are planted directly in the permanent land, taking the necessary precautions mentioned above when planting in the permanent land.