What do i need to consider when establishing a “new Pine forest”
You need to consider your chosen site. North facing is generally best because of more exposure to the sun over the day
Is your site as clean as possible, (ie) is the grass short enough for the planting crew to establish without screeding or clearing weeds or long kikuyu that will impede the freshly planted tree.
You need to think about Stems per hectare (spha). How many stems would I like to establish. A general rule in Northland is 1000spha although there is a variety of regimes we can discuss with their pro’s and con’s
Additional costs for release spraying should be accounted for in your budget. If your newly established forest is planted on pasture, the trees need to stay above the growing weeds to ensure they are not snuffed out. This most certainly means you will need to release spray your block after planting. In some cases you will need to spray twice in a year to ensure the weeds stay at bay. As long as the pines keep their heads above the weeds and in the sun they will dominate.
Should I prune my forest block and if so when?
Pruning your forest is a personal decision and one that needs consideration as It can be costly and ineffective if your contractor is not experienced to complete this task correctly.
I would advise that all forest blocks should have the outer 2 rows of trees pruned in all cases. With the sun exposure of the outer rows being substantially more than the rest of your forest block; the branching will most certainly grow much larger than the other trees and therefore the knots within the tree will also be larger. Large branching is undesirable to future buyers of your logs, therefore a loss in return on said logs is likely if left unpruned.
The optimum Diameter over stub (DOS) for first lift pruning for a standard forest block in Northland is between 15cm to 18cm. We suggest you begin your measurement recording from year 3 to 4 of your young trees life. This way you should catch the timing and plan for your pruning regime to start. It is important these measurements are recorded correctly so make contact with us should you require any help.
Why do I need to thin my trees? (Thinning to Waste)
Volume is key! In nearly all cases in “Northland” Forests are established at double the amount of the final crop. This means that if you plant 1000spha you will likely thin to waste (cut down) half of the original amount; in the case of 1000spha 500 will be thinned (cut down) to a final crop of 500.
Why do this?
The reason you plant 50% more trees than you need to is because of growth patterns and selection. Growth pattern is a technique to ensure the trees are growing in height, generally speaking for the first 8years of the newly established forest. By planting more trees in an area; you are densely populating this area and as a result the trees all compete for the sunlight. In turn this often makes the trees grow straighter and taller much quicker with smaller branching (knot wood). Then after 8years (generally) your trees have reached a good height to thin down. By thinning half of your forest at 8years you are exposing the sun to more of your forest and thus the trees will continue to grow in height but will now realise the competition for the sun isn’t as occupied and the tree will also start growing in volume (thickness).
Thinning to waste is an extremely important segment of forest establishment and your contractor must be competent in this area. This is where your final crop is selected and therefore where the most value is added to the forest you will be selling in the future. If the contractor is not competent in selecting the best trees to leave and is cutting the wrong trees; the forest will lose potential value at this point. Remember, once the wrong tree is cut down there is not taping it back up!!
Advice:
If you have more questions or want some further advice on forest establishment and maintenance contact us.
Will: (020)4302-677
