cultivation of ornamental plants

Cultivation of
Ornamental Plants
Guidelines for Community Plant Nurseries
Cultivation and sale
of ornamental plants,
especially indigenous
plants, is one way in
which rural households
or communities can
generate income.
A reliable water source is crucial
GETTING
STARTED :
1. Identify suitable households
What does a household need to start a plant
nursery?
• Reliable access to water - enough water
and not too salty
Households which grow other plants are more
likely to succeed with ornamental plants
• A source of suitable soil
• To be willing to work for more than a
year without income while establishing
the plants
• Land near their house where a nursery
can be set up (about 10 x 10 m)
• To be able to establish a protected
nursery area and build a fencing and
shade net structure
Growing from cuttings can produce bigger
plants more quickly
• To be able to access seeds and cuttings
• To be able to afford operational costs
such as water and pesticides.
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Acacia seedlings growing in strong black
growing bags
2. Develop a plan for the nursery
• Identify the plants to be grown (this information is needed for the
permit application, and for selling)
• Set targets for the numbers of seedlings and cuttings you will grow
• Plan your operating costs, cash flow etc
• Develop links with other nurseries which are already in the market
• Decide where to take cuttings and collect seeds
• Decide who you want to sell your plants to
• Plan how to transport your plants to the market
• Develop a marketing strategy. For instance, plan to sell some fastgrowing plants early on and keep some slow-growing plants to sell
later. Some special individual plants should be kept longer so they can
grow bigger and sell for higher prices.
3. Nursery structure and equipment
Fence off a plot which is secure and will keep
livestock and chickens out. An area shaded by
a 40% shade net is ideal for growing seedlings.
Make a small enclosed space to shelter your
seed trays when the seeds are germinating.
It is useful to have:
• a spade
• a wheelbarrow
• a trowel
• a watering can with fine rose
• a sprayer
• growing bags (5 litre)
• seed trays
• secateurs (for taking cuttings)
• a folding fine saw (for taking cuttings)
• plastic flat containers or basins
• a recording file
• paper bags (for seed collecting)
Construct the nursery close to the
homestead. Put a mesh fence around it to
keep domestic and wild animals out.
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4. Identify suitable plants and obtain plant material
Ideally, the plants should be indigenous trees and succulents, especially
those which occur in the local area and are easy to grow from seeds or
cuttings. Choose a mixture of faster- and slower-growing species. Plants
can be cultivated from seeds or cuttings. A record should be made of
where and when all seeds were collected and all cuttings were taken.
Suitable species for north-west Namibia include:
Scientific name
Local names
Cultivate from
Acacia montis-usti
!arib (Nama/Damara)
Seeds
Acacia robynsiana
!nueb (Nama/Damara)
Latjiesbos (Afrikaans)
Omukandakanda (Herero)
Omutapati (Herero)
Kanniedood (Afrikaans)
Kanniedood (Afrikaans)
Omuzumba (Perfume - Herero)
Kanniedood (Afrikaans)
Kanniedood (Afrikaans)
Omumbara (Herero)
Kanniedood (Afrikaans)
Wild Ebony
Tsabiboom (Afrikaans)
Tsabis (Nama/Damara)
Antes (Nama / Damara)
Omupondoriro (Herero)
Sprokiesboom (Afrikaans)
Llkhaos(Nama/Damara)
Bottelboom (Afrikaans)
!Khaas (Nama/Damara)
Lkhab (Nama/Damara)
Ongumbati (Herero)
‡guuge-ammes (Nama/Damara)
Omumbambahako (Herero)
‡khaugammeb (Nama/Damara)
Seeds
Adenolobus garipensis
Combretum wattii
Commiphora glaucescens
Commiphora kraeuseliana
Commiphora multijuga
Commiphora virgata
Commiphora wildii
Euclea pseudebenus
Euphorbia guerichiana
Moringa ovalifolia
Pachypodium lealii
Parkinsonia africana
Sesamothamnus guerichii
Sterculia africana
Sterculia quinqueloba
Euclea pseudebenus
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Adenolobus garipensis
Commiphora wildii
Seeds
Seeds
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds
Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds
Seeds
Pachypodium lealii
5. Set up the nursery
Working with seeds:
• Collect seeds from selected plants when
the seeds are mature and ripe. Store
them in a paper packet in a cool, dry
place.
• Mix river sand, clay and organic
materials to make a suitable soil for
growing plants.
• Plant seeds in the summer months
when it is warm. Disinfect seeds before
planting using diluted Jik or a traditional
method. Plant in seed trays at a depth
of about 5 mm.
For all the seeds that you
collect, use a data recording
sheet to record:
• reference number (for
each set of seeds)
• species
• date
• number of seeds
collected
• location (where the
seeds were collected)
• Establish a watering regime. Keep the
soil moist so the seedlings don’t wilt.
• When the seeds have germinated, move
them from the germination area to the
nursery.
• Transplant the seedlings into bags/pots
when they have three or four leaves.
• Weed regularly and spray against pests
and diseases if necessary.
• When the plants are well established,
harden them off by moving them out
from under the shade net, and gradually
reduce the frequency of watering.
Acacia montis-usti
Commiphora multijuga
Commiphora kraeuseliana
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Working with cuttings:
• Take cuttings in the growing season. Take cuttings from woody
branches in the lower crown near to the main stem. Each cutting
should be about 15-25 cm long and 10-20 mm thick and should have
several bud scars.
• Disinfect cutting tools regularly.
• Treat the cutting around the wound to protect it using, for example,
cold ash.
• Remove leaves from the cuttings and plant the cuttings into nursery
beds or pots. Water them regularly and protect them from the cold if
necessary.
• When the plants are well established move them out from under the
shade net, and water them less.
6. Permits
Each nursery requires a permit from
the Ministry of Environment and
Tourism (MET) so that protected
plants can be legally collected,
grown, transported and sold.
Each permit is valid for one year.
Apply to renew your permit at your
local MET office about three months
before your current permit expires.
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MET may require records of plant
use, species and numbers when a
permit renewal is applied for so keep
a record of all activities such as the
numbers and types of plants grown,
spraying etc. and take this with you
to the MET Office.
MARKETING :
Try to organise a buyer for your plants before they are ready to sell.
Remember that bigger plants will sell for a higher price. Commercial
nurseries, lodges in your area, and other local businesses and individuals
may be interested in buying your plants. You can also contact NBRI for
technical or marketing advice. Some useful contact details are:
Commercial Nurseries and other potential buyers in Namibia:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Garden Inspirations Nursery: 061 303453
Botanical Society of Namibia: Private Bag 13184, Windhoek
Ferreira’s Garden Centre Nursery: 061 234900
Wilde Eend Nursery: 061 228997
Okakango Gardens & Landscaping: 062 501816
Crazy Daisy Nursery: 064 220084
For Technical Support:
• National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI): 061 202 2012
NURSERY
ACTIVITIES :
Months
Activities
December to February
• Make a record of your entire stock and make a list of the
plants which you think are ready for selling
• Make sure all your plants are labelled with the correct name
and date of planting
July/August
• Inform the buyer/s which plants are available
August/September
• Take cuttings and prepare them for planting
September onwards
• Supply plants to the buyer/s
August to May
• Collect seeds from selected species when they are ripe
• Dry the seeds
• Plant your seeds and cuttings
October/November
• Apply at your local MET office for renewal of your nursery
permit. Take with you:
- records of all your nursery’s activities
- a plan of what you will grow next year including the number
of plants from seeds and cuttings of each species
Keep records of all your activities including when and where you collected
seeds or took cuttings, which species you collected from and how many
seeds/cuttings you took. If you treat your plants, record the date and
type of treatment (feeding, disease or pest control), a description of the
treatment (name of product and how you applied it) and a description of
the problem (type of disease or pests).
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Information in this booklet is based on the experiences of the
Integrated Community-based Ecosystem Management (ICEMA)
project and NBRI expertise. ICEMA’s Ornamental Plants Nursery Pilot
Project aimed to develop small scale ornamental plant nurseries to
promote the cultivation of indigenous plants as an income generating
opportunity for local communities.
ICEMA
Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Private Bag 13306
Windhoek
NBRI
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
Private Bag 13184
Windhoek
Tel: 061 2842741. Fax: 061 249795.
fkapembe@mweb.com.na
Tel: 061 202 2012. Fax: 061 258153.
info@nbri.org.na
Photos: Alice Jarvis, Olga Jones, Festus Kapembe, Peggy Poncelet, Carl & Henny Schlettwein
Booklet design and layout: Alice Jarvis