A. On the basis of irrigational facility, nurseries are classified into:

1. Dry Nursery: It is ‘a nursery that is maintained without any irrigation or other artificial watering.’
2. Wet Nursery: It is ‘a nursery that is maintained by irrigation or other artificial watering during the dry periods’.

B. On the basis of size of seedlings, nurseries are classified into the following types:

1. Seedling nursery: A nursery which has only seedling beds, i.e., in which seedlings only are raised, no transplanting being done is called seedling nursery.
2. Transplant nursery: A nursery which has only transplant beds, in which seedlings are transplanted for preparation for forest planting is called transplant nursery.

But in Nepal, separate seedling and transplant nurseries are seldom made.

C. On the basis of duration of their use, nurseries are classified into:

1. Temporary Nursery : It is a nursery that is maintained for supplying stock for a short period after which it is abandoned. Normally, it is constructed in the plantation area & usually small in size. It is suitable for hilly regions.
   • Main features:
     • Constructed for a short period of time and smaller is size.
     • Manuring is not necessary
     • Mostly located near/inside the planting area and which is approprite chiefly for casualty replacement.
     • Elaborate soil preparation is not necessary.
     • Cost of transportation of seedlings to the planting sites is low
     • Seedlings of different species for mixed crops
     • Gap between lifting the stock from the nursery and actual planting is less
     • Special supervision is not required
   • Advantages
     • Usually constructed in newly cleared sites fairly rich in humus and so, manuring is not required. Eucalyptus nurseries are an exception
       to the general rules.
     • Minimum trouble with the weeds, destructive insects and diseases.
     • Enables raising of species in their optimum altitudinal zone in hills.
     • Cheap transport of planting stock without any serious damage or shock.
   • Disadvantages
     • Comparatively costly.
     • Difficult to supervise.
     • Proper supervision is not possible as it is made out of way places.
     • Due to lack of irrigation facility, the growth of seedlings is, usually slow and heavy mortality.
2. Permanent Nursery: It is a nursery that is maintained for supplying nursery plants for a long time on a permanent basis. It is intended to meet the requirements of one or more ranges and it is relatively larger in extent.
   • Main features
     • Fit for large and intensive work and intensively managed
     • Established wheres all the facilities are available, i.e., easy supervision, communication facilities, labors, etc.
     • Intensive Manuring and soil working are done in perpetuity
     • Used for large scale afforestation works, or distribution to the villagers under community and private forestry programme.
     • A large labour forces, tools and equipments are available
     • Original cost of formation is high but is cheaper in the long run
     • Regular skilled supervision is done
   • Advantages
     • Varieties of planting stocks supply; such as root- shoot cuttings, grafted plants, layering, budding, polypot seedlings, etc.
     • Duration of service life is long and production cost is reasonable.
     • Meet the requirement of more ranges.
     • Supervision cost is low and can be easily supervised.
     • Easy transport of nursery stocks due to nearness of roads.
     • Plants are raised year after year for a long time on same site.
   • Disadvantage
     • Transportation of seedlings is difficult and costlier.
     • Establishment cost is high.
     • Manuring of beds annually & intensive soil working is essential.
     • Requires large labour forces through out the year which is difficult to available in agricultural seasons.