News

LVM Nurseries Launch Sowing Works

Along with the first winds of spring, spring sowing works have started in the largest nurseries of JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM). Since the beginning of March, LVM Mazsili, Strenči nurseries, as well as Podiņi tree nursery, which was expanded last year, have been actively sowing seeds of forest seedlings. As soon as the frost subsides, sowing will also start in the new Mežvidi nursery, where a new filling and sowing line was set up in the first days of March; the first three greenhouses will also be prepared for sowing.

“The first stage of sowing works has been started in heated greenhouses, where the required temperature and humidity level is ensured around the clock. With a high-precision seed drill, seeds are sown in specially designed cassettes filled with a specially prepared substrate. Once the cassettes are ready, they are immediately transported to greenhouses for germination. Later, when the sowings have germinated and slightly grown in size, the cassettes with the new seedlings will be moved to special outdoor landfills, but the greenhouse will be filled again with the sowings of the next circulation. Pine is always sown as the first species in the cultivation of container seedlings,” says Guntis Grandāns, Director of LVM Sēklas un stādi (LVM Seeds and Seedlings).

The sale of seedlings has also started

In order to ensure the fulfilment of LVM's renewable areas and long-term agreements concluded with Latvian private forest owners, in parallel with the sowing works, the sale of seedlings has already started. The first seedlings arrive at their recipients from the plant freezers, thus enabling the planters to gradually thaw the seedlings and start planting as soon as the weather permits. Forest owners are increasingly choosing to plant new forest stands, so the demand for quality planting material is growing every year. In order to provide as many forest seedlings as possible to the Latvian forest sector, the volumes in long-term export agreements have been reduced as far as possible in 2021.

This season, it is planned to sow a total of 85 million seedlings and sell 55 million seedlings. It is expected to increase the sales volume of seedlings with each following year: it is planned to sell 61 million seedlings in 2022, and 67 million seedlings in 2023.