Donal Magner has an interesting and informative article in Farmers Journal of 06 March 2010 which we have reprinted below.

March proves a busy month in the forest by Donal Magner

Despite the very cold weather, ground preparation and planting are well underway and these operations will continue for another couple of months weather permitting. For growers with established plantations March is also a busy month as maintenance operations need to be carried out and growers with mature plantations welcome the cold dry spell, which is ideal weather for operations such as road making and harvesting.

FIRE DANGER

Weather-wise, it is likely that early March at least will be similar to February - cold and dry. Few are complaining about the weather but prolonged cold dry periods create conditions that can put plantations at risk from fire. The public are advised every year to be vigilant and above all not to light fires in or near woodland.

Sadly every year a small minority ignore these warnings. Apart from the obvious danger of lighting fires near woodlands, it is a criminal offence (Wildlife Act, 1976 (Amendment 2000)) to burn vegetation between March 1 and August 31. Landowners intending to burn land outside this period are obliged to provide written advance notice to neighbouring forest owners and the local Garda station not less than 30 days prior to burning.

Prolonged dry periods and seasonal high winds in spring can create ideal conditions for fire to spread quickly through highly flammable moorland vegetation. While the risk of fire has reduced in recent years due to the establishment of new plantations in grassland rather than moorland sites, it is still important to be vigilant.

Growers need to incorporate fire plans in their overall management plans. These should include maps showing access and assembly points, information such as water sources, contact details of fire brigades and emergency services and location of fire fighting tools. Growers should have basic equipment to fight fires including water carriers such as slurry tankers, shovels or fire beaters, first aid kits and fire visors.

In high-risk plantations, 6m wide fire lines (screefing or removal of ground vegetation) should be constructed, maintained and kept free of vegetation.

PREPARATION

Farmers, who have received approval, are now either planting or preparing sites for planting. They have the option of handing these operations over to forestry companies and contractors or they amy wish to carry out some of the work themselves under the guidance of forestry consultants. Either way, it is important to be aware of a number of basic issues that will determine the success of plantations. For growers preparing ground for afforestation, it is important to ensure that the correct planting density or number of plants per ha is achieved. Determining planting density begins at cultivation. If the ground is being mounded, the operator should distribute the mounds to conform to the planting density as required by the Forest Service (Table 1). So in pure conifer plantations - apart from Lodgepole pine - 2,500 mounds / ha should be placed at 2 x 2 m spacing while for species such as oak and beech, 6,600 mounds are required per ha at 2.0 x 0.75 m spacing.

Other forms of cultivation, such as ripping and agricultural ploughing, should be carried out at 2m spacing and then planting should take place along the ridges, at the following intervals:

• 2m for all conifers except Lodgepole pine, which should be at 2 x 1.8 m spacing
• 1.5 m for all other broadleaves

PLANT QUALITY

Planting should be checked regularly to ensure quality planting is carried out. Plants should be firm and upright and planting pits or notches should be sufficiently deep to allow the roots to quickly establish.

The simplest way to check plants numbers per ha is to carry out a number of 200m2 plots. These can be rectangular (10 x 20 m) or circular (8m radius) plots. Count the number of plants within the plot and multiply by 50 and this equals the number of plants per ha.

Therefore to achieve optimum stocking there should be a maximum of 50 plants per plot for most conifers to achieve a planting density of 2,500 plants per ha. The target should be 130 for oak and beech to achieve a planting target of 6,600 plants per ha.

It is also important to check plants regularly after they have been delivered to the site. Plants are not delivered in co-extruded bags, which reduces the risk of plants drying out in windy conditions.

Bagged plants should be stored in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. It is also recommended to periodically check plants in bags as they can overheat if not correctly packed.