Soil preparation
Soil preparation with Timbro
Soil preparation for forest planting is an important process that significantly speeds up the rooting and growth rate of tree seedlings. It is best to carry out soil preparation for forest planting in the autumn so that the soil settles and compacts. On the other hand, if forest soil preparation takes place in the spring, then it is advisable to do it at least a month before planting.
How is soil preparation done for forest planting?
Soil preparation for forest planting is mostly done with adapted forest haulage tractors, skidding tractors, agricultural tractors, or in the case of wetter forests also with excavators, where disc ploughs also called milling machines are used for the tractors. Soil preparation for forest planting in wet and swampy forests is best done with a mounding machine, where a 20cm high elevation is created, in which tree planting is then carried out. Soil preparation should be done in the autumn so that the elevation settles, and when planting, care should be taken to ensure that the roots of the tree seedlings pass through the elevation.
Timbro recommends that soil preparation for forest planting be carried out without fail, because:
- It will improve the physical properties and fertility of the soil
- It will reduce competition for nutrients with grass and aggressive and low-quality tree species
- It will facilitate tree planting and help to observe planting quality
- It will improve the resistance of tree seedlings to frost and pests
- It will free up space, improving light access to tree seedlings
- It will help regulate moisture and nutrient absorption regimes
- In less fertile soil types, it will help to improve fertility and regulate moisture
- In medium and high fertility soils, it will help to fight overgrowth and reduce the negative impact of undergrowth plants
- In wet forests, the amount of moisture will be better regulated, which can negatively affect the rooting of tree seedlings
- It will improve the quality of agrotechnical and young stand tending
- It will increase the number of established trees and improve the species quality of the forest stand
We do not recommend saving on soil preparation for forest planting, as saving a couple of hundred euros can turn into losses, where you will lose on the maintenance of plantings and most of all on the fact that a low-quality forest stand will grow, which will significantly reduce future profits.rrying out a new forest inventory and/or in cases of tree felling.
Soil preparation for forest planting – frequently asked questions
Soil preparation for forest planting prices are usually around 150 euros per hectare. The total cost of forest planting is around 1000 euros per hectare, but the benefit is much greater than the investment, so we do not recommend saving by not performing soil preparation for forest planting.
Soil preparation for forest planting should be carried out either in the autumn of the previous year, allowing the soil to settle, or in early spring, at least a month before tree planting.
Forest soil preparation for forest planting will provide many benefits, from improving soil physical properties and fertility to increasing the number of established trees. This will unequivocally increase your benefit in the future and increase the value of the forest property.
