My vegetable seedlings are thriving in simple plastic trays

The young plants inside the 20 by 8m greenhouse in Nyeri dance from side to side in response to a gentle breeze whizzing through an opening near the roof of the structure.

Unlike other seedlings planted on seedbeds on the ground or in polythene bags, these ones are growing in plastic trays placed on stands made of metal and wood.

Carolyne Waruguru, the owner of the greenhouse, is busy with her two workers preparing seedlings for sale.

The 44-year-old has been in the business since 1999, producing vegetable seedlings for sale.

“I stumbled on this technology in 1999 during a farmers’ field day at Wambugu Agricultural Centre in Nyeri and gave it a try after buying Sh20 seedlings. Then I wanted to grow the seedlings for my farm but my neighbours came asking if they could buy? My business was consequently born,” recounts Carolyne, noting she earned Sh40 from her first sale from the produce from her quarter acre.

Waruguru is currently growing spinach, onions, sukuma wiki, cabbages, capsicum, tomatoes, beetroot and eggplant seedlings that she supplies to farmers in Nyeri, Embu and Murang’a.

“Using the trays helps to minimise wastage of seeds and seedlings because only one seed is planted in the small box resembling a painting palette,” says Waruguru of the 200 seedlings capacity trays that she buys at Sh200 from irrigation shops. She has 22 trays in total.

According to her, if one plants one seed in each hole of the tray, thinning becomes unnecessary unlike in the case of seeds planted on ground beds.

Controlling diseases while using the trays is also easy and economical.

“The trays offer one the opportunity to grow a large number of seeds in one container. This option saves space and allows the grower to easily move the seedlings from one place to another. Once the young plants outgrow the trays, they are transplanted either to the garden or into larger plastic bags.”

While on the 10 raised wooden frames, the trays that measure two by one-foot can be arranged in shelves.

“This helps to prevent foreign soil from splashing on them as it happens with ground seedbed when it rains. Normally such water comes with diseases like bacterial wilt.”

John Wambugu, a Ministry of Agriculture official in Nyeri, says the trays are one of the best technologies to grow seedlings as they prevent growth of weeds as well as make watering easier.

“Growing seedlings in greenhouses and trays comes with double benefits. While in greenhouses, the seedlings cannot be damaged by insects and a farmer gets assured that over 95 per cent of seedling will survive,” notes the agronomist, adding the seedlings are healthier than those grown on the ground.

Before planting the seeds in the trays, Carolyne, who holds a certificate in accounting, fills in the trays soil mixed with fertiliser, and then plants.

She then waits for them to sprout and, thereafter, waters the seedlings twice a day until they mature in a month.

The prices of her seedlings vary with the type of crop, with those of sukuma wiki, spinach, tomatoes, capsicum, beetroot and eggplant going for Sh1. She sells cabbage seedlings at Sh1.50.

Her low prices have lured many farmers and seedlings dealers to her side.

“I have attended several trainings offered by different seed manufacturing companies where I have learnt more on how to grow different types of crops,” says Carolyne, who recently won an award from Ministry of Agriculture and Elgon Kenya for her innovative agribusiness.

David Nyaga, the Nyeri County Chief Officer for Agriculture, says awards make a farmer know whether what they are doing is right.

“It is a validation of their efforts; it shows they are working hard.”

“If we can get such a big number of nominees win, then it clearly shows as a county we are competitive and have hard working farmers, equipped with modern know-how,” he says.