When to
Harvest
As the trees in the plantations
grow, their crowns spread and come into contact with one another. When they have achieved
the proper height growth and their crowns begin to compete for space, our foresters will
direct the first thinning harvest to allow the remaining trees sufficient space to gain
greater diameter growth.
Depending upon the species, this
first thinning harvest may occur as early as 6 to 8 years after the trees are planted in
the plantations. As subsequent height and crown growth continue, additional interim
harvests follow a repeating pattern at intervals of approximately each 3 to 5 years.
Before each interim harvest, our
foresters identify the straightest and largest trees and mark them to be left standing, to
be protected and nurtured for the final harvest. These select trees are the most likely to
achieve the best growth and form, and yield the highest profit. These select trees also
have the highest likelihood of yielding the veneer-quality logs which bring such a premium
on the world market.
The conclusion of our program
comes with the final harvest of the remaining, select trees. Depending on the growth rate
of the species, this will be in about 25 years. By this time these trees, depending on the
species, may be more than 7 or 8 stories tall, but their growth rate will have begun to
slow and the final harvest of these select trees must be made. This allows us to optimize
the return on our investment in these trees and to prepare the way for another planting.
Each of our beautiful plantation hardwood trees is, hopefully, a tree that will not be cut
from the world's natural rainforests.
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