Tropical Nursery Manual from USDA Forest Service on the Way

Upcoming USDA publication on Tree Production in Tropical Nurseries

Upcoming USDA publication on Tree Production in Tropical Nurseries

USDA Forest Service will publish the Tropical Nursery Manual next month. Forest Ecologist, Brian Daley of Geographic Consulting is a co-editor of the handbook, has co-authored the introduction and contributed photography. Dr. Daley has over 15 years experience propagating native trees in the Caribbean, and utilizing them in landscapes and restoration projects. The focus of this publication will be production of native tree species under the unique conditions that come with tropical settings. A preview of the cover and table of contents is available on our website. The publication is expected to be a valuable reference for people in the forestry and nursery trades.

Previous forest nursery reference books have focused on temperate systems and large scale production facilities. In the tropics, we work with a year-round growing season, storms, seasonal shifts in rainfall and plant species uniquely adapted to those conditions. In addition to the biological and climatic conditions, there are also socio-economic differences that make operating a nursery in the tropics unique. Our operations tend to be smaller and it is more challenging for us to access necessary supplies and information. These unique circumstances precipitated the creation of a unique Tropical Nursery Manual. This publication discusses containers, media, pest control, watering options and other choices from the tropical perspective. You can click here to view or download a sneak peak of the Table of Contents.

We received helpful contributions from  Art Farm, Cruzan Gardens Nursery  , Agroforestry Specialist, Mike Morgan at the University of the Virgin Islands , Julie Wright of the NRCS and from many others friends and partners throughout the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the greater Caribbean.
We hope you enjoy the preview here and look forward to sharing the final publication with you in the coming weeks.

Comments

Melissa E. Keyes2014-04-03 17:22:36

Hello, Can an African fruit tree named Marula grow here on STX? Thanks, Melissa

bdaley2014-04-04 13:26:54

Im not familiar with the plant, so i am not sure. However, i believe the natural range of Marula includes Madagascar. Madagascan plants, in my experience, do well here because they are adapted to a long dry season and caliche soils.

Comments, Questions? Contact Us.

Close