Managing young broadleaf forests for quality
Webinar - Tuesday 20 July, 7pm
Programme
This webinar focused on the necessary steps to ensure quality hardwood timber production. The event was broadcast via Zoom on Tuesday 20 July 2021 and included three short informative videos and a live studio panel of Teagasc forestry researchers and advisers discussing
- site selection,
- early pruning,
- grading trees by quality and vigour,
- marking for thinning,
- harvesting best practice and
- management grants available to owners.
Viewers attending the live broadcast also had the opportunity to ask questions during a live Q&A session.
Broadleaf forests
Irish broadleaf forests account today for approximately 30% of all Irish forests with much of our broadleaf farm forest still young and at developing stage. Reasons for planting a broadleaf forest on the farm are diverse such as biodiversity, water protection, landscape and timber production.
In many cases, a mix of different objectives is adopted by owners, with timber production often being a central driver. If timber production is an important objective then timely selective management is a must!
Early intervention for quality
The early years in the development of a broadleaf forest are critical in order to select the best quality trees, to apply pruning where required and to provide selected trees with sufficient space for vigorous growth. Without appropriate and timely selective management, much of the future hardwood timber value will be restricted to firewood.
While the firewood market is a very important market outlet early on, the focus should be on the production of sawlogs of sufficient dimensions and quality for planking and use by the joinery and furniture trade.
Early essential interventions include formative shaping, identifying potential crop trees, thinning and high pruning.
If you want to find out what it takes to grow quality hardwood timber then this event is for you.
Please note, this event is worth 15 CPD points (Society of Irish Foresters).