2019

Seedling Grower Festival in Sigulda

The Latvian Independence Day and the active gardening season will start with the traditional Latvian Seedling Parade to open the most popular event and the magnificent fair in Sigulda Festival Square, which will take place on 4 and 5 May. Those interested from 9:00 to 18:00 will have an opportunity to choose the most attractive plants from "LVM Sēklas un stādi" (LVM Seeds and Plants) nurseries, while the youngest visitors and parents will appreciate the attractive and educational games to take place in LVM Kalsnava Arboretum.

Visitors will be able to choose the most suitable ornamental seedlings for their garden at the stand of LVM Kalsnava Nursery, while LVM Strenči Nursery representatives will introduce those present to the diversity of forest plants, also revealing the importance of reforestation; specialists will share their recommendations for the selection of ornamental plants.

Only Latvian nurseries will take part in the Latvian Seedling Parade thus promoting and highlighting the Latvian seedling production industry. This year, there will be around 150 seedling growers from all over Latvia who will offer a wide range of summer flowers, fruit trees and berry bushes, ornamental trees and shrubs, as well as perennial flowers and other plants. As usual, next to the seedlings grown in Latvia, visitors will also have an opportunity to see and buy both crafts and garden goods and appliances, to taste Latvian-made delicacies, to participate in the traditional rare plant auction, various competitions and attractions for the whole family.

This year's theme of the event - climate change

This year's theme is climate change. Latvia has both a long tradition of horticulture and a favourable environment - the different types of soil available for cultivating different crops, water and peat resources are an important factor that gives the country a privileged position to develop the plant-growing sector. On average, there are around 50 nurseries in each region of Latvia, including nine LVM nurseries. The total area of nurseries in Latvia is about 800 ha, which, due to the increase of the valuable genetic material of forest plants, implies indirect emission reduction in the context of greenhouse gases (GHG).

The event will feature a campaign where we in cooperation with scientists from the Lake and Peatland Research Centre and the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" will count how much CO2 will be uptaken once all the seedlings sold are planted. For example, a pine-tree (Pinus) seedling planted in soil assimilates (uptakes) 1.16 grams of CO2/year, a spruce (Picea) seedling - 0.64 grams CO2/year, and birch - 1.58 grams CO2/year. According to measurements carried out in Latvia and methodologies used, specialists of the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" have found that these figures are even more impressive: birch uptakes 3.5 kg CO2/year, spruce - 3.6 kg CO2/year and pine - 2.1 kg CO2/year. Moreover, the additional effect of reproducing valuable genetic material in nurseries is as follows: birch 0.46 kg CO2/year, spruce 0.47 kg CO2/year, and pine 0.27 kg CO2/year.

Climate change brings challenges, and changes in the range of pests and diseases are already evident. There are dangerous organisms in Latvia that we have not been in contact with before, and thus have no experience in fighting them.

Entrance for the whole family is free of charge.