Plantation planning
Early planning is the path to a plantation that works for you
Trees come with many economic, productivity and environmental benefits. Before deciding which trees to plant and where, it’s important to establish your desired outcomes.
Growing trees is a long-term project. To make sure your investment pays off, consider how a planting can work for you throughout its lifecycle. Every farm and every farmer is unique, so there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Create a plan based on your individual property, farming operation and goals.
Get advice early to save a lot of work and expense in the long run.
Steps to plantation planning
1. Establish your priorities
Consider why you want to plant trees. Do you want to increase biodiversity on your property, reduce farm emissions, increase productivity, or sell timber or carbon credits? The answer to these questions will support each stage of your decision making.
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Did you know?
There are more than 5,000 private forests in Tasmania, covering 1.08 million hectares. That's 32% of the State's total forest area.
2. Assess your land
Look at the whole of your farm and think about where you could plant trees. Consider the layout of your land, the location of services and the available space. This will help you decide the size and type of planting you could establish.
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3. Design and prepare
Choose a species by carefully matching a tree to its ideal temperature, moisture and soils. Design a tree configuration to produce the results you want, whether that's on-farm benefits, income or biodiversity (or a mixture of all three). Then, it's time to make an establishment plan and prepare your site for planting.
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4. Consider ongoing management
Once your trees are established, they need ongoing management for the best chance of success. You can review and adapt your approach to meet your plantation's needs across its lifecycle. Activities might include fire management, pruning, thinning, and monitoring for pests and disease.
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Managing trees
5. Plan for harvesting
If you want to harvest trees to sell, consider the commercial opportunities and practicalities before you plant. That means understanding potential markets, harvesting and transportation options, on-farm infrastructure and sale prices.
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6. Know your finances
To make sure your plantation is viable, plan your costs from the beginning. This includes costs for set-up, ongoing management, harvesting (if applicable) and taxes. You should also understand your potential returns from trees, whether that's from selling wood, the carbon market or increasing your farm's productivity.
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7. Understand the legalities
Forest operations are regulated in Tasmania, including on private land. Before you start activities such as planting, clearing or harvesting forests, make sure you understand the law. This includes Forest Practices Plans, local planning approvals and private timber reserves.
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8. Get support
Getting professional support to plan, grow and manage trees can save you a lot of time and money. This is particularly true for first-time growers. Hire a specialist to visit your farm, ask PFT for advice, attend events and courses, or talk to other farmers about their journeys – the choice is yours!
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