Plantation Thinning and Pruning

    Management involves selecting the types and quality of trees which will be grown or allowed to grow in a woodlot or plantation, and then creating the best growing conditions for the trees selected. Specific management activities may include:

• Tending - In a stand of saplings (under 20 years) cleaning and pruning using chainsaws, pruning saws, and pruning shears begins the process of removing misshapen and undesirable trees to encourage straight growth that will produce quality trees for the future.
• Thinning - In an immature stand (25-60 years) removal of undesirable species or diseased and/or poorly formed trees will increase the space available to high quality crop trees and dramatically increase their growth rate. Two pre-commercial thinnings are usually required for plantations before a crop harvest.