Nursery Cycle - Trees
The production of tall, strong seedlings is directly related to continuous quality care: adequate irrigation, few weeds, good nutrition (fertilizer) and access to sunlight.
- Plan to attend the CR Winter Workshop
- Properly store seeds until they are pIanted
- Plant seeds by April I 1st
- CR staff visit can yards (review can yard rubric)
- Fertilize plants once they reach 3" in height
- Reseed as necessary
- Move trays every other week to prevent roots from pegging ground cloth.
- Set irrigation rate to 1/2" per day.
- Prepare your nursery for the summer months
- Increase irrigation rate to 1" per day
- Clean riser screens
- Complete annual replacement of battery timer
- Leave contact information with school's summer staff
- Apply Osmocote in late May or June (8-10 beads/cell)
- Thin tree seedlings to 1 per cell
- Check nursery twice each week during summer break
- Involve students in can yard maintenance at beginning of school year (Weed! Clean!)
- Fertilize plants for last time before September 15 with another application of Osmocote
- Reserve restoration trip date
- CR staff will begin nursery visits
- Consolidate live plants. Compost empty/dead yellow cells
- Prepare for your restoration trip
- Gather all necessary paperwork for day of restoration trip
- Turn irrigation system off and clean can yard after restoration trip
- Winterize can yard
- Plants will begin to go dormant
- Cell & store cells & trays (out of weather)
- Check irrigation system and timer battery twice a week
- Weed control
- Shift trays every other week during growing season to prevent roots from pegging ground cloth
- Communicate concerns to CR staff