育苗

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 育苗(いくびょう) means raising seedlings for later planting in a field or rice paddy.
• Basic usage: It describes starting to raise seedlings in a greenhouse in preparation for rice planting.
  • 春の田植えに備えて、温室で育苗を始めた。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Reading 苗
  • On its own, 苗 is read なえ and means a seedling. Within 育苗, it is read びょう.
• Sowing and raising seedlings
  • 種まき(たねまき) means sowing seeds. 育苗 focuses on the process of raising seedlings, not only on the moment of sowing.