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timber plantation

Started by WOOD100, May 01, 2016, 11:20:06 AM

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WOOD100

Hi, what are your thoughts on setting up a timber plantation (maple and cherry) as a part of retirement plan.

Texas Ranger

Sure, if your young enough.  But, there is deep satisfaction in working growing trees.
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

Autocar

Iam 68 and still plant trees for future generations. Remember it's all boils down to stewardship and it is fun to see your seedlings grow.
Bill

Ron Scott

Its always great going back and looking at the many acres and thousands of trees that I've planted on National  Forest system lands and private property's over the years. Many acres have had their first and second thinning and other more recent plantings are still in the seedling and sapling stage. I was just on one private landowner's young red pine plantation that I planted 5 years ago. I visit it often to just watch the trees grow and see how we increased his land values. ;)

For retirement though at ones "older age", I would try and purchase a 80-120 acre stand of quality hard maple and black cherry of sawlog size so that there may be some retirement income to take advantage of sooner. ;)
~Ron

WOOD100

I am in my 30s, so I think I am young enough:) So far I have planted about 150 trees, maple, cherry and few walnuts. I started with my project 4 years ago I think its a good idea to get better informed before I scale thing up. Some maple plantings were very small when planted so deer eat them. There is also this dilema about spacing between trees. If you plant trees 12 feet apart you have a lot more of work to do, firstly with planting and later (after 15 years) with thinning, so I was thinking to simplify and plant them 25 feet apart, what do you think?

@Texas Ranger yes its very rewarding

Ramicorn

I don't think I would go with 25 feet, too much spacing will make the trees want to grow out instead of up, which is what you want.

lshobie

Research growth rates in your area, cherry only grows about 16-18 inches max here in my area of ontario, thats about 60-70 years then they die from the inside out.  Walnut is a great tree but take a long time in this area to see a return - that'll be for your kids or their kids.  Maple are a great choice and so is oak if the trend is good at harvest.  But I agree that 25 feet is too far, they will grow out and some will die anyway leaving big gaps for other species to grow.  Expect loss.  Have fun!
John Deere 440 Skidder, C5 Treefarmer,  Metavic Forwarder, Massey 2500 Forklift, Hyundai HL730 Wheel Loader, Woodmizer LT40, Valley Edger,  Alaskan Mill, Huskys, Stihls, and echos.

teakwood

buy some acres in costa rica and plant teak. After 20-25years you will have a good return
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

ahlkey

Planting trees is a great adventure and following the progress over the years will give you great satisfaction.  The  fact you are young enough should allow you some harvesting opportunities later in life.   I would agree closer spacing will help the trees grow straight but Maples in general require good shade cover to do well so selecting the right species for your situation is important.   Try to do some soil preparation with roundup or something similar in the fall before planting in the spring.  When  your seedlings see less competition initially they will do better. However, depending on where you are located the biggest problem could be the deer?  Here in Wisconsin you just can't establish a new timber stand where deer are present without some form of barrier (ie.. fence).    You could of course plant white spruce or red pine which the deer do not like but mostly everything else is on there diet plan.

Good luck to you.. 

mesquite buckeye

Wide spaced trees will save time on thinning, but increase time needed for pruning to keep them from spreading out and crooked instead of up and straight. You can do it either way. In dry years the trees will grow faster with wider spacing, as they get more water and nutrients per tree.

Just remember if you don't get them pruned up you will have a firewood plantation.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

WOOD100

Ok so if I got it right, I should plant trees 12 ft apart, after 10 years they should be 4-5 inches in diameter, after 10 years it should be the time for the  first thinning, right?

Tarm

Wood100
At a 12X12 spacing you will have 300 trees per acre. A hardwood plantation of 300 trees per acre will not need to be thinned until they reach 8 inches in diameter. (40 to 50 years). Cut down about a third of them and wait another 20 years. The second thinning will yield small logs (10 inch top). The third and forth thinning at 15 year intervals will yield bigger and bigger logs until the final harvest of 18" plus DBH trees at 105 years of age. All of us who plant trees in the northern states plant them for our grandchildren not for ourselves. The key to a successful investment in hardwood timber is to buy what I call "big pulp". A good quality hardwood stand that is already 8-10 inches in diameter but lacking in saleable sawlogs. 30 years of management and growth can turn a stand like that into some valuable saw and veneer logs.

RHP Logging

Quote from: Tarm on June 11, 2016, 08:38:19 PM
Wood100
At a 12X12 spacing you will have 300 trees per acre. A hardwood plantation of 300 trees per acre will not need to be thinned until they reach 8 inches in diameter. (40 to 50 years). Cut down about a third of them and wait another 20 years. The second thinning will yield small logs (10 inch top). The third and forth thinning at 15 year intervals will yield bigger and bigger logs until the final harvest of 18" plus DBH trees at 105 years of age. All of us who plant trees in the northern states plant them for our grandchildren not for ourselves. The key to a successful investment in hardwood timber is to buy what I call "big pulp". A good quality hardwood stand that is already 8-10 inches in diameter but lacking in saleable sawlogs. 30 years of management and growth can turn a stand like that into some valuable saw and veneer logs.

My thoughts exactly.
Buckin in the woods

ppine

The temporal component of forestry is the most challenging part. We plant for the next generation. You would be better off to buy a standing forest with some age on it and go to work with it.
Forester

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