FARM FORESTRY — ESTABLISHMENT GUIDELINES FOR THE ADELAIDE HILLS AND FLEURIEU PENINSULA
Writer: Martyn England, farm forestry development officer.
This is one in a series of Farm Forestry Notes about Farm Forestry in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula. If you are considering becoming involved in farm forestry, you should read other Farm Forestry Notes in the series which discuss important factors that may influence your actions.
If you want to succeed in farm forestry you must start off right. Because trees are a long–term crop, even a small mistake at the beginning will have serious effects on your long term profitability.
Getting plantings off uniformly to a flying start will minimise the rotation length — the time from planting to harvest and hence the wait for financial returns. The guidelines in this fact sheet will help you establish your farm forestry projects successfully and efficiently.
Planting tubestock vs direct seeding:
Although direct seeding can be cheap and effective, you will find that seedlings are a better option for most farm forest developments. This is because successful, profitable forestry relies on developing a uniform, evenly spaced stand, allowing trees to grow at optimal rates and simplifying stand management (silviculture). Direct seeding is less reliable and will result in highly variable spacing compared with planting seedlings.
Tubestock
Although you could thin a direct–seeded area the following season and fill the gaps with seedlings, any initial cost savings are likely to be lost by your thinning and refilling costs.
In addition, the useful gains from tree breeding and seed improvement programs are only available by using planting stock. The high cost of genetically superior seed of selected provenances will prohibit direct seeding, as will the use of clonal material (cuttings).
This does not mean there is no place for direct seeding on your property at all. It is perfect for conservation plantings to create a natural-looking, randomly-distributed planting of local species. A local understorey direct seeded among a timber overstorey of planted seedlings is an appropriate mix for a multi–purpose timber – conservation planting.
You may also find direct seeding appropriate for establishing less intensive ventures such as:
- large firewood woodlots
- wide–spaced plantings on steep or rocky country (by hand)
- broombush
- fodder plantations of tagasaste.
(For advice on the comparative advantages of woodlots, timber belts and wide– spaced plantings, see Farm Forestry notes 4/98 and 5/98).
Genetics and tree selection
Tree selection and breeding programs have markedly improved growth rates and tree form (stem straightness and branching habit) particularly in radiata pines. This means you can plant fewer seedlings yet still be confident of ending up with an adequate number and even distribution of quality final crop trees. Where possible you should take advantage of any genetic improvements available.
Don’t be tempted by the false economy of using cheaper standard nursery material if high–quality genetic material is available. You will find the extra initial investment in superior genetic material is more than offset by the need for fewer plants, increased productivity and reduced expenditure on fertilising, pruning and thinning.
