Calliandra calothyrsus

Nursery establishment and

management

A pamphlet for farmers and extension staff

Charles Wambugu

SLP
CGIAR

i
published 2001, reprinted 2002

International Centre for Research in Agroforestry

PO Box 30677-00100
Nairobi, Kenya

For more information, contact

KARI Regional Research Centre
PO Box 27, Embu, Kenya

or

International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)

PO Box 30677- 00100, Nairobi, Kenya

or your local extension offices

This is pamphlet No. 1 in Calliandra calothysus series. Pamphlet No. 2 provides

information on calliandra tree management and use.

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Introduction

C alliandra calothyrsus is a small, leguminous tree with characteristic

pink flowers. It grows in a wide range of climatic and soil
conditions, from the sea level to the highlands, but it performs best
in coffee zones. Acidic soils, waterlogging and frost affect its growth
negatively. Calliandra grows relatively fast and its economic benefits can
be realized in the first year after planting. The tree can produce fodder
continuously for more than 10 years. It can be grown in various sites on
the farm since it does not compete much with crops growing adjacent
to it, as long as it is properly managed to reduce the shading effect.

Why grow calliandra?

There are at least six good reasons for growing calliandra in your farm—

High-quality fodder supplement for livestock

Calliandra improves milk production of both dairy cattle and goats.
It can also be fed to other types of livestock such as sheep, rabbits and
chicken. A cow needs to be fed with roughly 6 kilograms of fresh leaves
per day, a goat needs about 0.7 kilograms. To harvest 6 kilograms
fresh leaves every day, you need to plant about 500 calliandra trees at a
spacing of 0.5 metres ( feet), making 250 metres (800 feet) of hedge.
This seems like a lot but a farm of 1 hectare ( acres) has over 400
metres (1280 feet) of external boundary, plus additional sites (along
internal boundaries, along contours, around the homestead) where
calliandra can be planted.

Soil fertility improvement

Calliandra, being a leguminous species, has root nodules that ‘fix’ (that
is, take) nitrogen from the air. This fixation process helps in improving
soil fertility because nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for
plant growth. Animals fed with calliandra produce high-quality manure.

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Stabilizing soils and water conservation structures
litres, which
Calliandra has aisdeep
enough rootfor 40 metres
system. When (128 feet) of
planted nursery
along soil bed in
which about
conservation 500 grams
structures, of seed
it plays has been sown.
a significant Water
role in the the
holding seedlings
soil
together. It performs well in soil conservation when planted adjacentand
thoroughly before applying the inoculant, to ensure better spread
to distribution of the
lines of napier grassinoculant
on ‘fanyainjuu’
the and
soil.‘fanya
Applychini’
the Rhizobium using
terraces. The
leafy branches, repeatedly dipping them into the
trees need to be planted at a close spacing of 0.5 metres ( inoculant solution
feet). They
and shaking
should it offmetres
also be 0.5 on theabove
seedlings.
the napier line.
• If the inoculant is to be applied to seeds, mix it with water to make
Seed production and bee forage
a solution. Mix the pre-soaked seeds with the solution and sow
It immediately
is advisable that you preserve
avoiding excessivesome calliandra
exposure trees
to heat andforlight.
seed
production so that you will not need to rely on external sources for
•future
If theplanting.
inoculantTheis obtained
same treesfrom the soil
provide beneath
excellent beemature
forage,calliandra
so you
have the additional benefit of honey production. Leavebed
trees, scoop the topsoil and spread it on the nursery onebefore
tree uncut
sowing
every seeds. The
20 metres (aboutRhizobium
20 steps)will
andbe incorporated
make intonumber
sure the total the soil and
left
will assist the plant to grow.
is more than 30. This improves the chances of cross-pollination and
ensures that the
Rhizobium seeds produced
inoculant consists ofare of high genetic
microorganisms quality.
that In caseby
are destroyed you
leave less than 30 trees, exchange seeds with neighbours and
heat and light, therefore it is best to apply it in the late evening. mix seeds
from different sources before sowing.

Nursery care and management

Fuelwood
If leftfollowing
The to grow uncut, calliandra
management produces
practices quality fuelwood.
are recommended The wood
for calliandra
burns better and has less smoke
seedlings to enhance their survival:if left to dry well before use.

Stakes for climbing beans and tomatoes

Watering
Stakes produced
Carefully observeby thecalliandra
moistureare good
level support
in the nurseryforbed
other
andplants
watersuch as
climbing beans and tomatoes.
whenever it becomes dry. It is important to water the bed sufficiently
(but not too much) in the first 10 to 14 days after sowing before the
Establishing your calliandra nursery
seeds germinate. The seedlings should never look limp from moisture
stress or suffer
• Locate your from damping
nursery off because
near a reliable waterof source
excess water.
such as a river, a
spring, a borehole, a deep well, or reliable piped
It may be necessary to water the seedlings twice a day—in water (preferably
the morning
andsupported by a big storage
evening—especially withintank). Ensure
the first that theafter
2 months nursery
sowinghasthe
access
to water throughout the 3 to 4 months it will be in use.
seeds. Use a watering can, a perforated tin or leafy branches. Watering
may be reduced to once a day, preferably late in the evening.
2
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• The seedbed should be about 1 metre (3 feet) in width and can be as
long as the available space allows, but 3 metres is the usual length. A
path of 0.6 metres (2 feet) should be left between 2 adjacent seedbeds
for easy access to both beds. A bed of 1 by 3 metres can produce 400
seedlings.
• After you have decided on the nursery area, apply manure to the beds
at the rate of 1 part of manure to 4 parts of soil; this translates to 1
‘debe’ of manure for every 3 metres length of the nursery. Mix the
soil and the manure well.
• Pile up the soil and manure mixture to make a raised seedbed with a
height of about 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches), and then level
the soil.
• Support the sides of the bed with materials like banana stems, timber
or stones and prop them firmly with wooden pegs or stones.
• It is very important that the bed is level and the texture of the soil is
fine, so as to increase the rate of seed germination.

6 Inches

3F
ee
t

2F
ee
t

Layout of calliandra nursery

3
8
Sowing calliandra seeds
• A seedbed of 1 by 3 metres (3 x 9.6 feet) produces about 400
seedlings and requires 40 grams of seed. One-half kilogram of seeds
is sufficient for planting a nursery bed 40 metres (128 feet) long.
This bed will produce about 5300 seedlings, enough to feed 10 cows.
This means that 100 grams of seeds would need a seedbed of about
7.5 metres (24 feet) that can produce approximately 1000 seedlings,
adequate to feed 2 cows.
• To ensure good germination, you need to soak the seeds in cold
water for 2 days (48 hours).
• Make a furrow about 2 centimetres (1 inch) deep in your bed for
accurate sowing. Place the seeds in the furrow and cover them lightly
with soil. Space the furrows 10 centimetres (4 inches) apart, and
leave 5 centimetres (2 inches) between seeds within the furrow. Avoid
putting the seeds too deep into the soil: this would make them rot.
• Water the bed thoroughly immediately after sowing. You can use a
watering can, a perforated tin or leafy branches. If termites are not a
problem in your area, cover the seedbed with dry grass until the seeds
germinate.
• If you can afford tubing materials, remove the seedlings after they
produce two leaves and plant them in tubes filled with soil mixed
with manure at the same rate as that for the raised beds. Using
the tubes is an extra cost, but it improves the survival rate of the
seedlings, especially if there is shortage of water.
It is important to have a level nursery bed and fine soil texture, so as to
improve on seed germination.
• Use your hand to estimate distances if you do not have measuring
equipment. For example, the width of the palm is about 10
centimetres (4 inches) and the length of the first digit of the pointing
finger is about 2.5 centimetres (1 inch).

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 2 inches be
tween seed
(1 inch deep s
holes)

4 inches be
tween furrow
s

How to sow calliandra seeds

Applying Rhizobium inoculant

• As with beans, calliandra roots have the ability to join with tiny
organisms in the soil, known as Rhizobium, to form small, round
balls known as root nodules. These nodules, which are usually less
than 1 centimetre in diameter, trap and take nitrogen from the
air and feed it to calliandra plants. This process is called nitrogen
fixation. By trapping nitrogen from the air, the root nodules not only
help calliandra plants to grow fast but also leave the soil more fertile
than before.
• In most places, the Rhizobium population in the soil is not enough
to form adequate amounts of root nodules for nitrogen fixation. It is
therefore necessary to get Rhizobium from other sources, such as the
extension services or the soil beneath mature calliandra trees. The
Rhizobium inoculant has high populations of microorganisms that
enhance root nodulation and hence nitrogen fixation.
• Inoculant obtained from the extension services can be applied to
either calliandra seeds or young seedlings. For seedlings, mix the
inoculant with water in a bucket and stir thoroughly using a stick.
A packet of 200 grams of inoculant can make a solution of 60

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 litres, which is enough for 40 metres (128 feet) of nursery bed in
which about 500 grams of seed has been sown. Water the seedlings
thoroughly before applying the inoculant, to ensure better spread and
distribution of the inoculant in the soil. Apply the Rhizobium using
leafy branches, repeatedly dipping them into the inoculant solution
and shaking it off on the seedlings.
• If the inoculant is to be applied to seeds, mix it with water to make
a solution. Mix the pre-soaked seeds with the solution and sow
immediately avoiding excessive exposure to heat and light.
• If the inoculant is obtained from the soil beneath mature calliandra
trees, scoop the topsoil and spread it on the nursery bed before
sowing seeds. The Rhizobium will be incorporated into the soil and
will assist the plant to grow.
Rhizobium inoculant consists of microorganisms that are destroyed by
heat and light, therefore it is best to apply it in the late evening.

Nursery care and management

The following management practices are recommended for calliandra
seedlings to enhance their survival:

Watering
Carefully observe the moisture level in the nursery bed and water
whenever it becomes dry. It is important to water the bed sufficiently
(but not too much) in the first 10 to 14 days after sowing before the
seeds germinate. The seedlings should never look limp from moisture
stress or suffer from damping off because of excess water.
It may be necessary to water the seedlings twice a day—in the morning
and evening—especially within the first 2 months after sowing the
seeds. Use a watering can, a perforated tin or leafy branches. Watering
may be reduced to once a day, preferably late in the evening.

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Watering the nursery

Shading the seedlings

Make a shade structure 1 metre (3 feet) in height and cover lightly with
grass or tree leaves ensuring that some light passes through. Avoid using
branches from eucalyptus (blue gum) tree since its fallen leaves inhibit
germination of other plant species. As the seedlings grow, gradually
reduce the shade to get the seedlings used to full sunlight.

Weeding
Remove all types of weeds as soon as you notice them to ensure better
growth of the calliandra seedlings. Never allow your seedlings to be
choked by weeds.

Protection against pests

Pests like crickets, grasshoppers and cutworms can cause heavy losses of
seedlings if left unchecked. A good and cheap remedy against cutworm
is fresh wood ash, which should be sprinkled around the seedlings.
Some farmers apply mixtures made from plants like tobacco and garlic
to repel insect pests.

Planting out
• Calliandra seedlings are ready for transplanting 3 to 4 months after
sowing. Depending on the weather, 2 weeks before planting time you
should reduce watering to once every 2 to 3 days. By this time you

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 should have completely removed the shading materials covering the
nursery bed to prepare the seedlings to withstand the field conditions
when they are transplanted.
• Prepare the planting holes in advance on an appropriate site before
removing the seedlings from the nursery. If manure is available, apply
a 1-kilogram tin of manure to every hole and mix well with the soil.
• Remove the seedlings carefully from the nursery bed after watering
the bed thoroughly. The best method involves using a sharp ‘panga’
to first cut between the rows, then between the seedlings to form
squares, and lastly under the seedlings so that you can lift the seedling
with a cube of soil attached to the roots. This improves survival in the
field.
• Place a number of seedlings in a container such as a bucket or
basin for safe and convenient transportation to the field. Cover the
seedlings with a moist cloth or paper and take them to the planting
site immediately. Prepare only as many seedlings as you can plant in
one hour.

First cut vertically to form squares.

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Then cut horizontally, lift the seedling and place it in a container.

Finally, place the seedling on a prepared hole in your preferred planting site.

Planting sites
Farmers have found the following sites on the farm as appropriate for
planting calliandra:
• Boundary: plant in both external and internal boundaries of the farm.
• Homestead: use calliandra to make hedges around homestead.
• Along soil and water conservation structures: plant calliandra 0.5
metres above the napier grass line.
• Within a napier grass plot: plant 1 line of calliandra after every 2 lines
of napier grass.

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Reviewers
Steven Franzel, Principal Economist, ICRAF
Hannah Jaenicke, Propagation Physiology Scientist, ICRAF
George Karanja, Fodder Agronomist, KARI
Simon Kimwe, Rural Development Consultant
Jan Beniest, Principal Training Officer, ICRAF
Joseph Muriithi, Extensionist, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya
Duncan Macqueen, Deputy Programme Manager, DFID
Janet Stewart, Senior Research Associate, Oxford Forestry Institute

Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following for their input in the production of this booklet:
ETC (EA) Consultants for the illustrations; extension and research staff from the
Mount Kenya region for valuable comments; the farmers whose on-farm experiments
helped to verify the practices described in the booklet; Kellen Kebaara for editorial
and publishing support; Bainitus Alenga for adapting the illustrations; and Janet
Stewart for organizing the funding.

This publication is based on farmers’ practices and output of research funded by the
CGIAR Systemwide Livestock Programme, the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency, and the United Kingdom Department for International
Development. The views expressed are not necessarily those of any of these
organizations.

The printing of this pamplet is an output from a research project funded by DFID
for the benefit of developing countries. Project R6459, Forestry Research Programme.

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