Forestry Operations Calendar - Q2 (April to June)
The main operation is maintenance
In the early years, trees need a bit of maintenance to help them get established. This involves keeping the young trees free from competing weeds. There are a few methods which can be used to reduce the weed competition, these are manual, motor and chemical weed control. Inevitably there will be a few losses and replanting in the first four years is required as part of the grant conditions in order to draw down on the second part of the grant.
1. Manual weed control
Manual weed control involves stamping around the small trees as a simple method which involves no equipment. Another common method, is the use of a grass hook. With this method, it is important not to accidentally nick the tree with the sharp hook and cause damage to the tree. The hook is used to pull the weeds from around the base of the tree in a small circle. Grass hooks should be sharp and have a long handle to avoid excessive bending during the grass cleaning operation. The spacing for conifer trees is normally two metres apart. Broadleaves can vary depending on the scheme which has been chosen. The NTA (Native Tree Area) scheme has a wider spacing of three metres apart.
2. Motor weed control
This method involves the use of a motorised tool such as a strimmer. These are suitable on all species and different spacing. Care is needed when cutting close to the base of the tree as damage to a young tree can be fatal if cut all the way around the tree. It is important to remember that these operations are done to help the tree grow free from competing weeds, it is not to cut every weed on the site. For schemes such as agroforestry (silvopasture), the wider spacing of up to five metres apart allows for silage to be cut. Grass cutters in the form of an attachment to a small tractor can be used to cut down the lines between the rows of trees. This is normally done before stock can be introduced to keep the grass down.
3. Chemical weed control
In a world where environmental issues are to the forefront, chemical weed control should be used sparingly. Ensure a properly trained operator is employed as there are very strict rules around the use of chemicals used in weed control. With this method, normally a knapsack sprayer with a band spray nozzle is used to spray about one metre around the base of the tree. Drift from the spray can be an issue in windy weather, so spraying should only be done on a calm and dry day.
4. Beating up/filling in
During weed control, it is normal to check for dead or missing trees. These need to be replaced in the first four years. This particular operation is commonly known as beating up or filling in. The stocking at the year four inspection must be at least 90% of the original stocking evenly spread throughout the site.
Next quarter, the operation will be harvesting.
