Tree Nursery

Iracambi's nursery of native forest seedlings is one of the most popular spots at the research center. It produces about 4,000 seedlings a year of more than 50 different native species, and the plant cycle starts with seed collection and ends when the seedlings are ready to be planted out.

Some of the desirable species are in short supply locally so we buy them in from other sources, principally from the seed laboratory at the University of Viçosa. After collecting, sorting and identifying the seeds the next stage is to plant them: they have differing requirements, so we have to know which ones need what. Some need a heavy soil, some need a light one: some like a lot of water, some like a little; some want to be exposed to full sun, others prefer a shady spot, and so on. Some seeds germinate quickly whilst other enter a long period of dormancy after harvest and need to be stored until they are ready to plant.

The length of time the seedlings will remain in the nursery depends on how quickly they grow, and this varies enormously from one plant species to another. Some grow very slowly in the nursery but speed up once they are planted out, while others are ready to be planted out with a couple of months. Planting can only be done during the rains - from October through March, so we particularly appreciate help at that stage of the year!