Silviculture
How we improve the quality of your forest.
Silviculture is the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet the needs of landowners and the wider community.
Mahi Rākau achieve this by applying different types of silvicultural treatments such as site preparation, planting, pruning and thinning.
Summary of services
Pruning.
Pruning involves the removal of all branches up to a certain height in order to produce wood that is free of knots and of a higher value. Our goal is to produce the maximum amount of knot free clear timber, and at the same time being careful not to stunt the growth of the tree by removing too much foliage. Because this process can significantly increase or decrease the value of the wood it is a compromise that must be managed carefully. Something our team have years of expertise managing, in order to get the most value out of every forest we work in.
Thinning.
In the beginning we plant extra trees to encourage the trees to grow straight and with smaller branching, improving the quality of the final product. The thinning process then involves the removal of some of those trees to give the remaining trees more room to grow. This allows us to remove the weaker trees or those with poor form. This process leaves us with the most dominant and healthiest trees for the final crop, and bigger better trees means better returns for our customers.
Releasing.
Releasing can be accomplished using a combination of physical, mechanical and chemical methods. Protecting young trees from being smothered by grass, weeds and other seedlings is an essential part of establishing a strong healthy forest. And that little bit of extra care at the start can result in significantly more value come harvest time.
Fertilising.
Optimising tree nutrition helps allow trees to grow to their full potential. After each harvest the nutrients in the soil start to decrease. Maintaining nutrient levels between crop rotations is extremely important, especially on low nutrient sites. Through understanding soil conditions and nutrient demands, fertilising can be used to significantly increase growth and productivity.
Corrective Work.
Pine trees seldom need corrective work due to their generally good form. However, we can provide corrective treatment if trees have been damaged from severe weather, show instability from wind or snow, or if a crop shows poor form due to things such as multiple leaders. These treatments can also significantly increase the value of the final crop.
Quality control & data collection.
Quality control and data collection is very important to us. Our quality control procedures guarantee the quality of work that we do. We can help maximise the potential of a forest by maintaining a high level of quality every step of the way. We provide QC and Data Collection services as part of all of our silviculture services. We can also provide these services separately if needed.
Book a Free Site Assessment.
If you’d like us to conduct a FREE no-obligation site assessment
for your block, please click below.