Preparing to Plant Tropical Trees

This Manual is the fourth in a series of readable, well illustrated handbooks for propagating and planting tropical trees.

The five Manuals have been designed to provide clear and concise information on how to select, grow, plant and care for tropical trees. They are intended for anyone interested in growing trees, from the small-holder to the large-scale grower, from local communities to national governments and from school and further education teachers to research and extension staff of agricultural and forestry departments. They provide illustrated, step-by-step instructions, practical guidelines and an outline of the thought process lying behind them.

Manual 4 is concerned with the key choices that lie between propagation of good planting stock, and its planting and successful establishment. These usually include: good communication between all those with an interest; some understanding of how tropical ecosystems function; a consideration of the type of planting site; choosing which groups of trees to plant; deciding on a suitable growing system for the young trees; preparing the site for planting.

The procedures described in this series of Manuals may be used with the majority of woody species to provide diverse seedling or clonal mixtures. They include techniques for 'domestication', so that superior planting stock can increasingly be used – this can help to capture more rapidly the great potential for multiple usefulness offered by tropical trees, while also encouraging conservation of their genetic resources.