Plant Nursery Project

This plant nursery project from the Kaushal Bodh book includes 7 engaging and hands-on activities specially designed for 7th-grade students. These activities guide students through the entire process of understanding and setting up a plant nursery. From identifying suitable plants and preparing nursery beds to learning about propagation methods and showcasing their work, each step helps students connect with nature, develop practical gardening skills, and appreciate the importance of sustainable living.

Activity 1: Visit to a nearby plant nursery

1. Date of visit: 20th June 2025
2. Name of nursery visited: Archana Nursery
3. Type of nursery (e.g., vegetable, fruit, flowering plants, ornamental plants):Flowering plants, ornamental plants, and fruit plants
4. Types of plants grown (e.g., vegetable, flowering, fruit, etc.): Marigold, rose, hibiscus (flowering); money plant, croton (ornamental); guava, pomegranate (fruit)
5. Nursery tools and equipment used: Watering cans, trowels, pruning shears, pots, trays, hoes, pipe irrigation system, shade nets
6. Management practices, such as watering, pest control, nutrient, etc.: Plants are watered daily using a pipe system and watering cans. Organic compost and fertilizers are added regularly. Pest control is done using neem-based insecticides and occasional chemical sprays.

Questions for interaction:

Q1. Which plants are generally grown in the nursery?

Ans. Common plants include rose, marigold, hibiscus, tulsi, aloe vera, croton, money plant, guava, pomegranate, and lemon.

Q2. What methods of plant propagation are used in the nursery?

Ans. Seeds, stem cuttings, grafting, and layering methods are commonly used.

Q3. Are the same plants grown throughout the year or are there seasonal variations? If yes, which plants are grown in which season?

Ans. Yes, there are seasonal variations.

• Winter: Pansy, dianthus, calendula
• Summer: Marigold, sunflower, zinnia
• Rainy season: Hibiscus, guava, jasmine

Environmental condition questions:

Q1. How do you ensure that plants receive the right amount and duration of sunlight?

Ans. Plants are arranged according to their sunlight needs. Sun-loving plants are placed in open areas, while shade-loving plants are kept under green nets.

Q2. What methods do you use to provide shade for plants?

Ans. Green shade nets and temporary roof coverings are used to protect plants from harsh sunlight.

Q3. What measures do you take to maintain ideal temperature for plants?

Ans. Plants are watered regularly to cool them, shade nets are used, and some plants are grown inside polyhouses.

Q4. How do you make sure that plants receive the right amount of water?

Ans. Plants are watered early in the morning or late evening using a sprinkler system and watering cans. The soil moisture is also checked before watering.

Q5. How is optimal humidity maintained?

Ans. Humidity is managed by watering the floor around the plants, growing moisture-loving plants in humid zones, and using shade nets to reduce evaporation.

Q6. Is there anything else that plants need for their healthy growth?

Ans. Yes, regular pruning, weeding, and addition of compost and organic matter are essential for healthy growth.

Q7. How do you prevent damage to plants from external factors, like pests, animals or human activity (e.g., are there pathways between plant beds and protective fencing)?

Ans. Yes, plant beds have separate paths to avoid stepping. Fencing is installed to keep animals out. Neem oil and organic pesticides are used to control pests.

Q8. How are plants transported from the nursery to home gardens/farms?

Ans. Plants are packed in plastic bags or small pots and carried in boxes or trays using handcarts or small vehicles.

Table 1.1: Information for developing the plant nursery

S. No.	Name of plant	Method of plant propagation used in the nursery (seeds, stems, etc.)	How are conditions for healthy growth being provided to the plants?	Any special care required by the plant? (Yes/No) If yes, what is to be done?
1.	Marigold	Seeds	Regular watering, full sunlight	No
2.	Rose	Stem cuttings	Moderate sunlight, pruning	Yes – Regular pruning and protection from aphids
3.	Guava	Grafting	Full sunlight, rich soil	Yes – Requires fertilization and pest control
4.	Hibiscus	Stem cuttings	Regular watering, partial shade	No
5.	Croton	Stem cuttings	Partial sunlight, humid environment	Yes – Needs high humidity and regular misting
6.	Pomegranate	Seeds and cuttings	Full sunlight, well-drained soil	Yes – Needs pruning and pest protection

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Activity 2: Planning and Laying Out Plant Nursery

Q1. What is the available space for the nursery?

Ans. The nursery space available is approximately 100 square feet (10 ft x 10 ft) behind the school building.

Q2.What factors were considered while choosing the location?

Ans. The factors that were considered while choosing the location are

• Availability of 3–4 hours of sunlight
• Nearby water source
• Protection from wind and animals
• Well-drained soil and flat land

Nursery Layout (to be sketched in the given box)

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Activity 3: Preparing land and setting up shade-net

Q1. What kind of shade-net or clothes did you use to provide shade to the plants?

Ans. We used a green shade-net with 75% shading to protect the plants from excessive sunlight. In some parts, we also used old sarees to provide additional shade.

Q2. Which materials did you use to fix the shade-net (e.g., bamboo, wooden pole, mild steel pipe, etc.)?

Ans. We used bamboo and wooden poles to fix the shade-net at the boundary of the nursery.

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Activity 4: Germinating seeds

Q1. Which seed did you use for conducting seed germination test?

Ans. We used moong (green gram) seeds for conducting the seed germination test.

Q2. How many seeds were used for the germination test?

Ans. We used 100 seeds for the germination test.

Q3. How many days did it take for the seeds to germinate?

Ans. It took 3 to 5 days for the seeds to germinate.

Q4. How many seeds germinated?

Ans. Out of 100 seeds, 92 seeds germinated.

Q5. What was the germination rate?

Ans. Germination rate = (Number of seeds germinated / Total number of seeds placed) × 100
= (92 / 100) × 100
= 92%

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Activity 5: Raising Plant in the nursery

Method 1: Sowing seeds on raised-bed nursery

Q1.Which seeds did you sow in the raised-bed?

Ans. I sowed tomato and spinach seeds in the raised-bed.

Q2. What have you done to provide optimal conditions for growth of seedlings?

Ans. I watered the soil regularly to keep it moist, removed weeds, and ensured the raised-bed was in a sunny location for good light exposure.

Method 2: Sowing seeds in plug or seedling trays

Q1. Which method did you use for sowing the seeds? (If you have used more than one method, please mention all of them.

Ans. I used both the raised-bed method and the seedling tray method for sowing the seeds.

Q2. What steps have you taken to provide optimal conditions for the growth of seedlings?

Ans. I kept the soil moist, placed the seedling trays in a shaded area, and protected the raised-beds with fencing to avoid damage.

Method 3: Raising plants using stem cuttings

Q1. Which kind of plants did you use for plant propagation using cuttings? Did you use a cutting of hard, semi-hard or softwood?

Ans. I used rose and bougainvillea plants for propagation, and I used semi-hardwood cuttings.

Q2. What have you done to ensure conditions for growth?

Ans. I dipped the cuttings in rooting hormone, planted them in a compost-soil mix, and kept them in a shaded area to avoid harsh sunlight.

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Activity 6: Watching plants grow

Table 1.2: Maintaing record for the plant nursery

S. No.	Name of plants produced in the nursery	Types of nursery method used	Quantity of seeds or stem cuttings used	Date of planting	Date of germination or emergence of the first leaf	Any other observation
1	Tomato	Seedling tray method	20 seeds	1 June 2025	5 June 2025	Healthy growth, moist soil maintained
2	Spinach	Raised-bed method	30 seeds	2 June 2025	4 June 2025	Germinated quickly, required thinning
3	Bougainvillea	Stem cutting (semi-hardwood)	5 cuttings	3 June 2025	25 June 2025	New shoots visible after 20 days
4	Holy Basil (Tulsi)	Seedling tray method	15 seeds	1 June 2025	6 June 2025	Kept in shade, good aroma
5	Marigold	Raised-bed method	25 seeds	4 June 2025	8 June 2025	Bright leaves, needs sunlight

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Activity 7: Calculating the cost

Table 1.3: Calculating the cost of items and materials

S. No	Items/Material	Unit cost (cost per gram or piece)	Quantity	Total price	Remark
1	Seed (e.g., Tomato)	₹10 per g	5 g	₹50	Already filled
2	Seedling tray (50 cell)	₹30 per tray	2 trays	₹60	Reused trays available
3	Nursery bag	₹2 per piece	10 bags	₹20	Some reused from milk pouches
4	Cocopeat	₹40 per kg	1 kg	₹40	Used for seedling trays
5	Compost	₹5 per kg	5 kg	₹25	Mixed with soil
6	Rooting hormone powder	₹60 per 100 g	20 g	₹12	Used for stem cuttings

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What did I learn from others?

Q1. Write about three most useful things you learnt from the visit to the plant nursery/interaction with the expert.

Ans. The 3 useful things i learnt from the visit to the plant nursery

1. How to prepare raised beds and seedling trays.
2. Importance of watering and light conditions.
3. How to identify healthy plants for stem cuttings.

Q2. Describe three things you learned while making the plant nursery with your peer?

Ans. The three things that I have learned while making the plant nursery with my peer are:

1. Teamwork helps in completing gardening tasks quickly.
2. Proper spacing and depth are important for healthy plant growth.
3. We learned to reuse materials like milk pouches for nursery bags.

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Think and Answer

Q1. What did you enjoy doing?

Ans. I enjoyed preparing the raised-bed, sowing the seeds, and watching the tiny plants grow. It was exciting to see the first leaves come out and to take care of the seedlings every day.

Q2. What were the challenges you faced?

Ans. Some challenges I faced were:

• Removing stones and weeds from the soil took a lot of time.
• Keeping the soil moist in hot weather was difficult.
• Some seeds did not germinate, and I had to try again.

Q3. What will you do differently next time?

Ans. Next time, I will:

• Use better quality seeds and check their expiry.
• Maintain proper distance between plants for better growth.
• Cover the seedling trays more carefully to retain moisture and heat.

Q4. Identify a few examples of jobs related to the work you did in this project.

Ans. Jobs related to plant nursery work include:

• Gardener: Takes care of plants and maintains the garden.
• Botanist: Studies different types of plants and their uses.
• Forest Officer: Works to protect forests and plant biodiversity.
• Farmer: Grows crops and looks after plants on a large scale.
• Agriculture Scientist: Develops new methods for better plant growth and farming techniques.

Also Read

• Class 6 Kaushal bodh book project 1: School kitchen Garden
• Class 7 Kaushal bodh book project 1: Plant Nursery Project
• Notes on Recycling
• Notes on Basics of Kitchen Garden