Three experiments on the raising of Pinus patula nursery stock are described.1. Seed was sown at depths of 1,6; 3,2 and 6,4 mm and either mulched with a polythene sheet or not. The mulch, together with a sowing depth of 3,2 mm gave the highest germination at 14 and 28 days.2. Seedlings were raised in beds and polythene sleeves, thus in soil with two degrees of compaction. Plants were established
... [Show full abstract] by: direct sowing single seeds, direct sowing three seeds and thinning germinants, pricking out. The pricked out seedlings grew significantly better than direct sown stock in the sleeve plots. This was attributed to loosening of soil in the process of pricking out.3. Seedlings were raised in polythene sleeves of different dimensions: 7,5 × 10 cm, 7,5 × 12,5 cm, 10 × 10 cm and 10 × 12,5 cm flat measurements, width × height. Seedling diameter and shoot-mass was significantly affected by sleeve diameter whilst root mass was affected by soil volume. The sleeve sizes used did not influence seedling height growth.