At this time, there are no specific guidelines for the establishment of private nurseries in Uganda. However, the National Forest Authority has established guidelines for nurseries supplying seedlings to commercial producers.
A high quality of seedlings produced in the nurseries is based on several criteria, which are quality seeds, proper seed germination, regular weeding after germination, watering during dry periods and protection of the young seedlings from strong radiation and pests and diseases.
The seedlings remain in the tree nursery for 3-6 months and are transported to the planting site. Seedlings with a bad quality (damaged, slow growth, etc.) should not be used for planting.
In Uganda, fast-growing species are planted during the 2 periods, from March to April and from August to September. As tree growth performance correlates strongly with soil fertility, on heavily degraded soils, additional organic fertilizers have to be added into the planting holes. There are different possibilities for tree planting, here are a few examples:
